The story of Noah.
This is a true story of faith, trust, and endurance! When God came to Noah and said build an ark I am sure Noah thought...what's an ark? He lived in the desert and they had NEVER seen rain. Until the flood came water came up from the ground like a midst. So, here is Noah...in the desert..building an ark and telling people it's going to rain for like 100 years! That is some endurance of faith!!! Not only did he endure 100 years building it but then after they boarded the ark they had to wait 7 days before it rained. Then 40 days and nights while it rained and then 150 days after that. Then it was 2 more weeks before they could set foot off the ark. They were on that ark for over a year. Noah was the first sailor to ever live.
But one thing that stood out to me today was we see in the genealogies that Noah's father and grandfather were still alive when the flood came. Noah had to board that ark knowing they would die in the flood. I am sure Noah had other family members left behind as well. It must have been so hard but yet he trusted God and he endured.
Whenever I face a challenge I think of Noah. It sorts of makes my problems seem very small!!!
Joshua 3
On the third day of camping on the banks of the river, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were told to move out. At the very brink of the water the faith and courage of their leadership would be tested. God had planned for the waters of the Jordan to part, allowing free and easy access to the Promised Land. However, He also purposefully designed that the separation of the waters would not occur until the soles of the priests' feet touched the water. They were commanded to march directly into the waters of the swollen Jordan. Obedience would take more than raw courage. It would take an absolute trust in the promises of God.
As Christians we are to display that same trust in God. Frequently the Lord God will place before us a seemingly impossible task. We must seek His will, which may mean hours on our knees. We must be sanctified for the task. As necessary as these things are, however, there must come a day when we are willing to get our feet wet. Before we can have miraculous spiritual victory we must be willing to trust God and march directly into the face of the impossible . The priests of Israel confidently set foot in the water, and a great miracle of God followed. Their faith should be our example.
Isaiah 3:13-15.
This is a picture of a courtroom, with God as judge, as well as the prosecuting attorney, with the people of Judah the plaintiffs, as well as the victims. Notice that though all the people of Judah are on trial, it is the leaders and the elders that are held primarily responsible '" the ones that God condemns. ("With great power comes great responsibility", to quote Spiderman's Uncle Ben.) What are these leaders accused of?
Ruining God's vineyard
Plundering the poor
Crushing & grinding the faces of the poor
These show that we can come under judgment for how we treat other people. If we are in positions of authority over people, we are responsible for what happens to those people who are under us. We can see that God clearly cares very much about the poor and needy. The leaders were clearly taking advantage of their positions by treating the poor unfairly, ignoring them, and allowing them to suffer. God is telling them that the weak and helpless will always Him as an advocate.
learly cares very much about the poor and the needy '" this is a common theme we have seen in Isaiah. The leaders were clearly taking advantage of their positions by treating the poor unfairly (deliberate selfishness and greed) and probably simply ignoring them and allowing them to suffer (indifference and apathy). God is telling them that the weak and helpless will always have Him as an advocate.