LifeLink Devotions for Thursday, August 29, 2024

Our first example of faith and wisdom combining to accomplish the purpose of God is Noah. This guy had amazing faith in God and followed God’s wisdom in getting the job done. Just think of what it must have been like for him. He and his family are living in a tropical world where they have never seen or needed rain. All the moisture they ever needed was all around them in the atmosphere, and the daily dew was sufficient for all necessary watering because the ground water was so plentiful.  But worldly sufficiency cannot compensate for spiritual deficiency. So God gave Noah an assignment.

Genesis 6:9-14; 22 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out… Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

What would the neighbors think when Noah started to build an ark? God directs this faithful man of integrity and righteousness to build a boat. Not just any boat, but a boat so large that at least two of every kind of animal in the world could reside in it for a period of 1 year. This wasn’t just a little dugout canoe for fishing. That would not have drawn any attention from anyone. This was a statement of faith in God’s Word and a step into God’s wisdom. That first step of obedience lasted 120 years. That’s how long it took to complete the ark. But any step of faith into God’s wisdom, regardless of the length or difficulty of the road traveled, results in God’s glory. 

That’s the kind of faith we need today: faith in God’s Word that results in steps into God’s wisdom. Where has God been speaking into your life, but you have not been stepping into His wisdom? Maybe it’s in a career decision where it will take great faith to trust God’s wisdom and step in God’s direction rather than in the direction of the world’s provision. Maybe it’s in a relationship, where it will take great faith to trust God’s wisdom rather than pursue personal fulfillment or satisfaction. Maybe it’s in financial issues, where it will take great faith to step out in God’s wisdom by giving substantially to His Kingdom work rather than to the building of an earthly kingdom for self. 

Whatever the issue, right now is the right time to look up in obedience to God’s Word and step out in faith into God’s wisdom and obey God’s directions.  

Lord, give us the faith of Noah to trust your Word and tread your path. 

Pastor John