“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” -Hebrews 11:6-7
The story is told of General Douglas MacArthur, famed American general, who faced a difficult class at West Point when he studied there. As he tells it, “The first section was studying the time-space relationship later formulated by Einstein as his Theory of Relativity. The text was complex and, being unable to comprehend it, I committed the pages to memory. When I was called upon to recite, I solemnly reeled off almost word for word what the book said. Our instructor, Colonel Fieberger, looked at me somewhat quizzically and asked, ‘Do you understand this theory?’ It was a bad moment for me, but I did not hesitate in replying, ‘No, sir.’ You could have heard a pin drop. I braced myself and waited. And then the slow words of the professor: ‘Neither do I, Mr. MacArthur. Section dismissed.'”
Some things in life we will never understand. Can you explain why the earth spins counter-clockwise rather than clockwise? How about why baby birds are born in an egg while we human beings have a live birth? What about why some people are right handed while others are left handed? Our world is full of mysteries, many of which we will never understand.
Noah faced a mystery when God predicted to him that the earth would be flooded with water raining down from the sky. This message was unusual to Noah because rain had not yet occurred on earth. The earth was moistened with dew every morning and surrounded by a water canopy, so the need for rain was not present.
Imagine being in Noah’s shoes. The only source of water you had ever known were wells deep within the earth, and the small amounts of water that showed up as dew every morning. Now God was telling you that water would come down from the heavens, and not only that, but there would be so much that it would cover the face of the earth.
Noah may not have understood God’s proclamation, yet he chose to trust Him any way. God commanded Noah to build an ark so that he and his family would be spared. Noah had a choice to make. He could trust his instincts and what he knew to be true, and disobey God’s command; or he could admit he didn’t understand exactly what God was predicting, yet still obey Him. Noah chose to trust God.
We will face times in our lives like Noah did. God will command us to do something that we don’t exactly understand the reasoning behind. It might be a command to move our family somewhere new, a leading to start a new work, or a command to trust Him more with our finances. No matter what God commands us to do, we must always obey.
Has God asked you to do something you don’t really understand? Have you tried to figure out a reason behind it, or sought an answer from God regarding His command? Often God gives us a command and requires us to step out by faith before He explains His reason.
Think of Hebrews 11:6 the next time God gives you a command, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Obeying God often requires faith. Remember that God doesn’t ask for understanding, but for faithful obedience. (Daily in the Word)
