Build Your Ark

Happy Wednesday! 

Did you know that Noah was a conspiracy theorist of his time? People thought he was crazy for building an Ark when there was no storm or rain or even a hint of a flood in sight! He suffered name calling, ridicule, shame and hatred because he was speaking out and following his Lord’s commands. I was reading through Hebrews the other day and under the section about faith Noah was there. In Hebrews there's an entire chapter - chapter 11 - called Faith in Action and the author lists one Old Testament character after another and their faith in God and what they did to put that faith into action. Near the top of that list is Noah. It says, "By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." His faith in God was so great that he built an ark when God told him to as the rest of the world peered up at the sky, saw no rain and laughed and jeered at him for preparing for something that wasn’t there, wasn’t coming, wasn’t real in their eyes. I don't know about you, but I'd like to become an heir of righteousness that is in keeping with faith. I also think we should all have some holy fear right now. I'll just be honest, I never really understood the importance of fearing God. I thought we were just supposed to love Him because He loves us... but I realize that it's important to have holy fear for God as well. He is the Creator of the universe, and we're called to love Him, worship Him and to have a healthy dose of fear for Him. Not a bad kind of fear, but a reverent and honoring fear for the fact that He is the almighty God and He has done so much and can do so much more. I'm still learning what that looks like and what that means to have reverent and holy fear for God as much as praising and adoring love for Him. 

To be called a conspiracy theorist in the year of 2020 feels like a compliment. I’m in good company, I think, if I’m considered a conspiracy theorist. I told myself when I started this blog that there would be no talk of politics on here and I’m upholding that promise to myself. Guys... this isn’t politics anymore. This is my life. This is our lives now. Wearing masks, staying 6 ft apart. All you have to do is go on social media and see all the mask-shaming, name calling and hate slinging going on. We've never been more divided. If you speak a word against Covid-19, against wearing masks, against vaccines or if you say anything about the pure evil that has sunk it's roots so deep into society it's hard to believe — and yet hard not to believe — how far Satan has come and how much he has touched in this world, you're shunned, cancelled and labeled as a crazy conspiracy theorist. 

I truly have a new love and appreciation for the story of Noah after going through this “pandemic.” He was the only righteous man in a sea of evil and corruption and therefore God gave him a sneak peek as to what was to come. He told him to build an ark. There will be a flood, he said. Take your family, build an ark and be safe. And that’s what Noah did. Even when the rest of the world around him was asleep to the fact that there was something much bigger coming and bigger things happening that they didn’t see (and didn’t want to see), Noah dutifully and faithfully built that ark. 

I emphasize with him more than I did before 2020. I get how hard it is to be awake to the things that no one else will talk about or be willing to see. I wonder if Noah got frustrated some days. If he tossed a hammer to the ground and wanted to pull his hair out because no one around him would listen to him. I wonder if it grieved his heart that everyone around him was so lost and blind that nothing he said could guide them back to the light. I wonder if he had friends who left him or called him crazy or friends he pleaded with time and again, telling them what was to come and they either didn’t believe him or just wouldn’t listen. Today as I write this, I feel like I’m shouting into a void and no one is listening. I’m trying to tell people to wake up to the fact that this is all part of Satan’s plan but there are so few who believe me or will even be willing to read the words I write. 

It’s maddening and grieving and frustrating. Sometimes I want to just sit and cry (and most times I do) because everything just feels so lost and broken and awful. The world is so sinful and messy. 

But like Noah... I know I have to continue to live in faith. Every day he worked on that ark until it was complete and just like him, every day I need to pick myself up and walk in faith. Every day I need to have faith that my words will touch someone and faith that God will use me even in some small way to give hope and light and life to someone else, even just one person! To plant that seed. I pray and hope for that. 

To be honest, Tuesday, yesterday when I wrote this at 10:30 at night before I fell asleep, was a really hard day. I gave in to doubt, fear, and hopelessness. Over the weekend I was really struggling with some hard truths about the world we live in, going to Target and seeing everyone - even children! - in masks, social media has blown up about the horrors of child trafficking and slave labor (which is incredible that these issues are being brought to the light of day, but still really hard to face the sin that is so prevalent in this world every time I open an app on my phone). It wasn't until way after I had a very long cry and a long talk with my dad (who is so wise and always points me back to God) that I thought of Noah before I fell asleep and had to write out these words. He lived in a time where the world was so horrible and so sinful and sick that God wiped humanity off the face of the Earth! God saw what humanity had become and was displeased with their sin. I wonder if before God told Noah to build the ark, if he looked around him and ever felt even an inkling of fear, doubt or hopelessness. If he did, he still remained in faith with God. He was the only righteous man on the planet. He didn't succumb to the fear and hate and sin of the world, he didn't let it drag him down. He remained in faith with God through all of it. I want to follow in his example. 

I saw a meme going around the other day on Instagram - I wish I had saved it because I can't find it anywhere now! - talking about how Christians should only share Jesus and the Good News and love and light. I totally agree with that. But whoever wrote that caption also said that Christians should not being sharing "conspiracy theories" and they should not be getting into politics. I read over that caption and then read it again because I agreed with half of it, but the rest of it didn't sit well with me and I realized... Jesus called us to share Him first and foremost. To make disciples of all the nations. But we're also called to speak truth and to expose the lies and deceptions of the enemy, to bring it into the open for all to see so that people aren't led astray and deceived. 

I hope and pray that there are Christians around the world right now who will live more like Noah. Who will share Jesus and His love and Word, plant seeds in as many people as they can, disciple people, but also speak truth and expose the lies and plans of the enemy. I hope and pray that I can learn to live more like Noah too. I'm preaching to myself here as I write this. I need to do better in this area too... I'm trying, but it's hard sometimes. I'm bold and passionate in my words around close friends and family, but can be very timid and unsure when talking about these things to other people or even sharing on social media. It’s hard to face the ridicule and rejection of the world. But I know it’s so much more rewarding to live in faith the way Noah did than to live in fear of what the world thinks of me. Live for Christ. His authority, His directions and His teachings come first above everything else in this world. Even if it seems crazy, even if you sound crazy, even if the world turns against you... keep building your ark in faith. A flood will come and when it does... at least then you’ll know you built your ark strong in faith and you did everything you could to bring as many people aboard your boat as possible. 

I hope you have a great rest of your week! :)