By Bob Bunn
Every summer, kids from around the nation gather in Washington, D.C., for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The event, closing in on its one hundredth competition, has become a big deal as students spell words that most of us have never heard and could never define.
The bee begins with dozens of spellers, but the numbers steadily dwindle as the competition moves on. Ideally (though not always), one winner is left standing at the end. Out of all those students, only one realizes his or her goal and emerges as the spelling champ.
Sometimes, it’s exciting to be the last person standing. Other times, we’d rather blend in with the crowd. In studying the account of the flood in Genesis 6–8, centuries of population growth had led to centuries of moral depravity (Genesis 6:1–3). As the human race expanded from Eden into the rest of the world, so had the power of sin. Regardless of how far we advance as individuals and civilizations, we can never outrun our evil natures. By Noah’s day, “human wickedness was widespread” and “every inclination of the human mind was nothing but evil all the time” (v.5).
Sin had corrupted the Lord’s good creation so thoroughly that humanity had little hope for redemption. But God always knows the difference between “little hope” and “no hope.” In this case, that difference was defined by one man and his family: “Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). Noah wasn’t perfect, but he stood out from the crowd because he stood with God. We’re left to wonder how Noah felt about being singled out by God. It’s tough to put ourselves in that situation, to think about what went through his mind when the Lord said, “you alone are righteous before me in this generation” (Genesis 7:1).
You know the rest of the story. Noah built an ark, even though it made no sense to those around him. Still, eight people went in, and eight people came out. God had wiped the slate clean and started from scratch with Noah’s family. Centuries later, the writer of Hebrews noted that, thanks to his obedience, Noah “became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7).
Faith and obedience have always been the standard of excellence in God’s economy. His people stand out from the crowd by standing up for Him—even when it doesn’t make sense to the world around us. If we’re honest, we all face times when God tests our faith and our commitment to Him. He places us in situations that don’t make sense or simply feel overwhelming. We’re faced with a choice to trust Him or to trust ourselves, to respond in faith or to walk the other way.
Noah’s story challenges us to stand out, even if it means being the last person standing. If we are willing to take that step, we too can experience that kind of faith.
Post Comments (0)