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.
Hebrews 11:7
What would you step out and do, if you knew you could not fail because you and God were doing it together?
What is that keeps us rooted in place when God has a faith assignment? It might be many things — lack of confidence, misplaced priorities, other responsibilities — but often the real impediment is FEAR. We are afraid of failing, of being shamed, of not being enough. Our eyes shift off the One who is calling and onto the obstacles surrounding us.
For the follower of Christ, the opposite of fear is not courage, but faith.
In Hebrews 11:7, we learn that Noah acted on his holy fear when he built the ark. It propelled him to act on his faith.
There is a huge difference between fear and holy fear.
Holy fear comes with faith, but plain old worldly fear is the opposite of faith.
Holy fear is prompted by reverence and respect for God. It is our faith lived out.
I don’t think Noah was alone when he built the ark. His audience included those described as corrupt and full of violence. (Genesis 6:12) Most likely, the darkness in their hearts flooded out of their mouths in the form of mocking, goading, and derision of Noah.
It is indeed a challenge to obey God, but perhaps especially when we are being mocked for holding fast to our beliefs.
Which do you think was the greatest challenge for Noah to overcome to obey God:
- Doubt that it would really rain?
- Pride – what are people thinking?
- Embarrassment and shame as he was taunted and made fun of?
I believe Noah kept his hands busy and his mouth shut. He condemned his mockers, but it wasn’t with his words. Hebrews 11:7 says it was his faith that condemned the world — and because of Noah’s active, believing faith he was rewarded. He became an heir to righteousness.
God asked Him to do something that really made no logical sense: he was to build a boat to prepare for a catastrophe that the world had never seen.
Is it easier to obey God when He asks us to do something that makes logical sense, something that doesn’t bring shame or embarrassment, something that doesn’t make me stand out?
As you and I choose to exercise our faith muscle, as we choose to obediently listen to God and tune out the voices taunting and mocking us, our holy fear trumps worldly fear. It prompts us to take action, to move forward. Trusting God and obeying God even when—especially when—we don’t have all the details? That is the substance of faith in action.
We may not be immediately clued into the why, when, where, and what for … but we know the WHO.
Are you ready to buckle up for the ride of faith? Are you ready to go where He sends, knowing the One who sends you goes with you, loves you, and will never leave or forsake you? Are you ready to reject fear and walk in faith?
We don’t need to have all the answers, because we know the One who does.
In Romans 1:17, Paul wrote, “the righteous shall live by faith.” In this week’s devotional video, Laura explores what this means for us. You can find this key verse in Romans on our March Write the WORD bookmark, which is available (along with other free resources) on our Downloads page.
