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Genesis: 6: 5-10
When the LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth,
and how no desire that his heart conceived
was ever anything but evil,
he regretted that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was grieved.
So the LORD said:
“I will wipe out from the earth the men whom I have created,
and not only the men,
but also the beasts and the creeping things and the birds of the air,
for I am sorry that I made them.”
But Noah found favor with the LORD.
Then the LORD said to Noah:
“Go into the ark, you and all your household,
for you alone in this age have I found to be truly just.
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs,
a male and its mate;
and of the unclean animals, one pair,
a male and its mate;
likewise, of every clean bird of the air, seven pairs,
a male and a female,
and of all the unclean birds, one pair,
a male and a female.
Thus you will keep their issue alive over all the earth.
Seven days from now I will bring rain down on the earth
for forty days and forty nights,
and so I will wipe out from the surface of the earth
every moving creature that I have made.”
Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him.
As soon as the seven days were over,
the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
The Word of the Lord.
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“The LORD said to Noah: ‘Go into the ark, you and all your household… Noah did just as the LORD had commanded him. [Then] the waters of the flood came upon the earth.”
Noah started building his ark while it was still bright and sunny outside. Once the darkness fell and the floods came, those who were saved were the ones already inside the boat. They prepared for flood waters, even when the rain was nowhere in sight.
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The story of Noah’s ark offers us a timeless lesson in faith:
Build it now.
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There are moments in every person’s life when the flood waters come rushing in; when it feels like we’re going to drown.
Faith is the ark that keeps you above water.
It strengths you and protects you, just as Noah’s ark did.
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How much effort am I putting into strengthening my faith?
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Ash Wednesday is just a week away. Perhaps an appropriate goal this Lent is to build our ark while we can.
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Image credits: (1) An Ark Mentality, Christianity Today (2) Was Noah’s Ark Real? Denison Forum (3) Noah’ Ark, World History Encyclopedia