“Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation … For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.” And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.” (Genesis 7:1, 4–5, ESV)
And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. Those three little letters – “all” – change everything, don’t they? As absurd as God’s requests had been for Noah to become a master shipbuilder (when no ships this size had been build before), they went into the ludicrous at this point. Have you read what leads up to this chapter?
“And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come into you to keep them alive. Also, take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”” (Genesis 6:19–21, ESV)
Sometimes God asks for a LOT! And, to be honest, and real, we just don’t want to go to all the bother to do all that God asks for. This morning, as I was walking, I thought about the people who cut the corner, j-walk, and in short, cheat so they don’t have to exert as much effort to get – they suppose – the same results.
But that’s just it, isn’t it? Cutting corners doesn’t get you the same as doing everything. Oh, yes, in the short term we can get away with less without noticeable differences. But, over time, those shortcuts ARE the reason we are in trouble.
Consider Noah one more time. What if Noah had chosen to use shortcuts in building the ark? His rescue plan would have become his coffin. And what if, out of sheer laziness, he chose not to get TWO of every creature? Where would whole species of animals be today? And, where would humanity be as a result?
Turning around our situation means doing all the Lord has commanded us because that’s where our future is created!
Turn-Around Tuesdays are designed to bring hope and help, insight and encouragement to those of us who are simply overwhelmed by the flood of problems life throws at us. No one is immune to trials and troubles, but God has a way of lifting us from life’s torrents. Each short thought is written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and comes from his life-journey with the God who never leaves us or forsakes us. He welcomes your comments below.
