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Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close. Psalm 27:10 (NLT)
There lies in the heart of each of us a desire to be loved and to be wanted. That inner confidence that we know we are needed and that if we were gone, someone would miss us. The peace of knowing someone cares and that when everyone else turns their back on us, there is at least one person we can turn to for a heartfelt hug, a shoulder to cry on and a listening ear.
For many of people that’s what family is for. Family is that one foundation, that one cornerstone that throughout history has proven itself to be the most consistent, reliable and faithful place to find love, acceptance and understanding.
Friends move or find other interests. Marriages, some of which have lasted almost half a century, end in divorce and send children of any age reeling and seeking answers. Illnesses, emotional distress, financial ruin, greed all take their toll. But family is always supposed to be there for us.
In David’s Psalm of praise (Psalm 27) he recounts the many ways that God can be trusted and praised. Friends can fail us. We have adversaries that seek our demise. Brothers can turn on you and tell you how embarrassed they are to have you as a sibling. Sometimes even parents can turn their backs on you when you don’t meet up to their own lofty expectations.
But God is there. Have you ever been in a crowd of people you know and still feel lonely? Have you ever reached out for someone to talk to and found everyone too busy to really listen? Have you ever made a decision that was so repulsive that even your family excludes you from their circle?
Know this. Your Heavenly Father hears your cries in the night even when it seems your prayers don’t go past the ceiling. During those lonely times He feels the same knot in your stomach. His heart sinks when He sees how you are treated. No one. Not friends, family, your lover, no one understands like Jesus. He is your friend in the midst of the darkest hour.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. There are times in my life when I’m so full of loneliness and despair that I’m not sure I can go on. No one seems to understand me or listen to me or care if I’m even around. There are times I confess I don’t even think you care. Help me this day to know that you love me with all the scars, with all the bruises, with all the issues that pull me down. I love you. Help me to feel your love. Amen.
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:8
Imagine what it would be like to live in a society where you felt you were the only one living for God. All around you people looked at you as though your religion was outdated, irrelevant and harsh. Some may even accuse you of being intolerant.
You try your best to live for God and take a stand for Him, but people scoff and laugh. Marriage and family are no longer important. In fact the very definition of marriage is under scrutiny. The idea of absolute Truth is a thing of the past. ‘Right’ is what you make it.
If you can imagine that kind of world then you will have a pretty good idea of what Noah went through during his days on earth. Things got so bad that God Himself looked down from heaven and regretted that he even made man.
In the midst of the chaos, God saw one bright light, a man named Noah. The Bible refers to Noah as a righteous man and as one that found favor with God. That doesn’t mean that Noah was perfect. He had issues like any other man. What it did mean is that in the midst of the chaos of his day, Noah followed after God as best he could and God looked upon him with favor (the early Hebrew word means Grace).
God had a special task for Noah to accomplish on earth. It was a task that would take 120 years to complete and would result in every animal on earth being rescued from a great and mighty flood. Imagine what it must have been like for Noah to build on this great boat under the watchful eyes of his neighbors who, most likely, thought Noah had gone completely off his rocker.
God asked Noah to do something that had never been done before. He asked him to stand strong against adversity, trust Him for the strength to accomplish the task, and follow the directions that He’d given Noah. If Noah would follow the path God had for him, he would meet with success and the world would be saved.
We know how the story of Noah turned out. He listened to God. He followed God’s directions. He showed great courage in trying something completely new, and the world was saved!
God isn’t likely to call any of us to change our careers and become boat builders any time soon. Our Father is looking for followers who are willing to stand strong in the face of adversity and work to change their part of the world. It appears from scripture that not only did Noah find favor in God’s eyes; he found favor in the eyes of men as well. Noah lived a life contrary to those around him. Even so, He was accepted in spite of his different beliefs.
Live your life in such a way that others will see you are different. Stand strong on the moral commands that God has given us. At the same time live in such a way that you are accepted. Paul says to live grace-fully, to live at peace with all men (even those who are wrong!) as much as it depends on you.
PRAYER: Father God, sometimes I feel like Noah. Everything around me seems to be falling apart. People seem to have forgotten you. I pray that you will help me be like Noah. Help me to follow your commands in the face of adversity and be willing to step out and try new things because of your power working through me. I want to change my world! Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 