Let Faith Be Your Foundation

When we have faith as the foundation of our lives, we can weather all storms…

Noah exhibited how prophets must be. His obedience and faith is contrary to the faith and obedience that Adam exhibited in the Garden of Eden. Noah’s obedience was rewarded by being saved from the destruction that wiped out all the peoples in the world.

For Noah, it must have been hard to be the first recipient of the news that the world would end. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. In the same way, no one wants to receive bad news. The tendency will be to reject something so negative. However, Noah had faith in God. He accepted this news, regardless of the consequence it entails in his status in the community. It is a faith issue because the prophet has no one else to rely on but God.

Faith Is Believing What The Eyes Can’t See

In the context of Noah’s situation, faith is the assurance for what we do not see. According to the passage above, Noah was warned about things that were unseen. Noah had faith. He was sure that the flood that God warned him about would truly come to pass. The passage clearly shows that it was because Noah feared the Lord, meaning he trusted God’s Word, that he built the ark.

The building of the ark and the proclamation of God’s judgment are different things. It is one thing to respond to a warning, which foretells a tragedy, and it is another to get others to believe that this will happen. However, this is the situation Noah was in. As a prophet, he did not just have the knowledge of what he must do in preparation for the flood. He was to call the people who are caught up in their wickedness to repent in order to be saved.

What If God Tests Your Faith?

Imagine the phone ringing and an anonymous caller warns you that someone will come in the night, into your neighborhood, to murder everyone. The tendency is to take the necessary precautions to protect your family. You might make sure the double-lock is secured or you will not sleep in your house for that night. I’m sure, you will not take it lightly, even if you are not sure it will really happen. You will think: “It’s better safe than sorry.”

It is a different story to get everyone in your block to believe it. In reality, some might believe it. People will believe because crime rates are high and it is a possibility. But most probably, they will not believe that this will truly happen.

In Noah’s time, people found it impossible that a flood will destroy humanity. They probably found it harder to believe because there was no sign of rain. If people trusted in God, they would have followed in the footsteps of Noah. What would have happened if the people believed that a flood was truly coming? Will they have been saved? I believe they would have been spared from destruction because God would have honored their faith.