When Obedience Is Hard

"Noah did everything that God had commanded him." Genesis 6:22 HCSB

I don't believe that I could even begin to count the times that I have read the account of God telling Noah about His plans to destroy the earth because of the sin that plagued it. I was reading this section of Scripture this morning for my devotion time and saw something I had never seen before.

CAUTION: Rabbit trail ahead! Isn't it amazing how you can read the Bible many times over and each time see something new. The words haven't changed just the way the Holy Spirit illuminates it. OK, back to what I was saying...



God had shared with Noah the plans to destroy the earth an everything in it. Sin had grown like an out-of-control cancer and tainted everything. God shows here that He cannot put up with sin.

It is interesting that God shares these plans with Noah. After all, Noah has sin in his life. But God declared Noah righteous because Noah had a relationship with God and walked with Him (Genesis 6:9).

Even more interesting is that as God was sharing these plans of destruction, you know that Noah had many images running through his mind: friends, family members who wouldn't listen, house, possessions, etc. God was saying that anything not under the protection of God's plan would be gone. Imagine as Noah was building the ark all the people who mocked him... friends who asked what he was thinking... the thought that all his precious possessions that he was storing up to pass along to the children... Noah would have to decide whether God or these things meant more to him.

We see from the text that Noah counted his relationship with God more valuable than anything this world could offer. That was a situation where obedience was much more difficult than most credit Noah for at first.

What have been some situations in your life where obedience was hard?

Know that even if it doesn't make sense at the moment, obedience to God is always the best route to take.