Preaching the Gospel with perseverance: As we look around us, we see tremendous similarities with the time of Noah and our time. This is the time when it becomes harder and harder to preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God. Sometimes, our effort may yield insignificant results, but we must not lose heart. We must draw encouragement and inspiration from the life of Noah. According to II Peter 2:5, Noah was a “preacher of righteousness”, and he could have preached to the people for at least 100 years! As the days turn to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years, Noah could have all the reasons to quit preaching to the people. Imagine, after preaching to the people for at least 100 years, no one has believed his message, except his family who eventually joined him in the ark.
So whenever you feel like quitting, remember the example of Noah. Remember his perseverance. Most importantly, remember that God’s Word will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing where He sends it (Isaiah 55:10-11).
Finding grace in the eyes of the LORD: Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8). This simply means that Noah found favor and having the favor of God led him and his family to safety. They were delivered from the great flood that fell upon the earth.
But of all the people, why Noah? It is worth noting that no matter what we do and how much righteousness we accomplish during our lifetime, God is not obliged to give us salvation or in the case of Noah, rescue him from the flood. God’s grace is the unmerited favor that God bestowed upon us, not because of our own doing, but because of His great love to us. Nevertheless, we must NEVER use grace as a license to sin. The people around Noah abused the grace of God to the point that God was forced to reluctantly send the flood and mercifully end their lives. Therefore, we need to realize that God’s grace is not given for us to sin, but for us to be given the chance to repent and turn from our wicked ways (Romans 6:1-23).
Fully obeying God: The Bible mentioned this twice in the account of Noah’s obedience: “Thus Noah did; according to ALL that God commanded him, so he did” (Genesis 6:22; 7:5).
We must consistently be obedient to God and not just when it is convenient for us. The world of Christianity today has become a religion of convenience, only following the commandments of God that will not directly contradict to their own will. As what Jesus Christ said, “You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength” (Mark 12:30). Loving God is manifested through our devotion in keeping His commandments.
We live in a world similar to Noah’s. Noah did not find grace in the eyes of men but in the eyes of God. Instead of being influenced by the world around him, he chose to be influenced by the commandments of God. Will you live like Noah? Or will you eventually find yourself outside the ark? (JOSHUA INFANTADO)