More Than Forty

I've got more notes in my bible around the story of Noah and the Ark than I do most anywhere else.

Mostly because as a kid I remember learning it was 40 day story. As I grew up and read I was amazed that really, the flood lasted months.

Every living thing that wasn't on the ark perished.

I can't get my head around that.

Everything.

How do I comprehend a wrath like that? A God so disgusted by sin, he washed away a whole planet.

That's unsettling power.

However, if I look at that I can't help but see how He also protected who believed in him - Noah. Noah, who confirmed his faith through obedience.

God saved a sinner, not because he was less of a sinner than everyone else. Noah had a heart for the Lord he was willing to back up with action. God protected him because of his heart.

Not only Noah, God protected Noah's family too.

That is a mercy that trumps wrath.

It's not about action, it's about the heart behind the actions. God is not concerned with how well you measure up, only that you trust His direction.

The waters are rising.

Are you willing to build a boat? Or are you trusting in your own ability to swim?