And Noah did all that God commanded him—he did indeed.
Into the Text
We already know how Noah’s story ends. So it’s difficult for us to fully comprehend how crazy he seemed to his contemporaries. Let’s try to imagine the setting. There had never been rain, there had never been flooding, and Noah wasn’t geographically located near a large body of water. But God told him to build an ark, so Noah built an ark.
Biblical accounts place the construction of the ark between 40 to 120 years. That’s equivalent to our modern day average life span. Day after day, hour after hour, Noah “did all that God commanded him.” No one had ever done what he was doing. No one could understand what he was doing. But Noah obeyed God. He didn’t just obey God, “he did indeed.” The use of the term “indeed” underscores the certainty of something. It shows the unwavering commitment to a task. Noah obeyed God without wavering. He set his heart, his mind, and his hands to do the work the Lord set before him.
Sometimes our obedience to God seems crazy to others because it differs so much from what they are doing. It can be difficult and lonely. But don’t give up. Whatever the Lord has called you to do, do it. Set your heart, your mind, and your hands to do the work of the Lord. And do it indeed.
Prayer
Lord God, obeying your word makes me different from others. Sometimes it’s lonely and hard. But I know you are with me and guiding me. Help me never forget that it’s my love for you that causes me to obey you. Amen.