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Remember Noah
written by Gloria
Copeland
“And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from
the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the
fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found
grace in the eyes of the Lord.” – Genesis 6:7-8
One of the dirtiest, most damaging lies that the devil ever told
you was when he said, “You aren’t important.”
Don’t you ever believe that.
You are important!
Every born-again member in the Church of Jesus Christ has a part
to play in God’s plan.
God has something for you to do that no one else can do just like
you can. If you don’t take your place and do your part, things won’t be quite
right.
I can just hear you thinking, “Oh, Gloria, I’m just one person.
What could I possibly do that could be so significant?”
Look in Genesis 6, and you’ll see the answer to that question.
There you’ll see that the people on the earth had gotten so wicked that God had
regretted that He’d made them.
He was ready to wipe the whole population out — but He didn’t.
Why? Because of one man: Noah! One obedient man saved the human race.
Think about that. What if Noah had said, “Well, this is just
too much pressure for me. I can’t live upright before God in the middle of this
ungodly generation. I mean, everyone around me is living the other way. Every
man around me imagines only evil in his heart. I can’t make any difference in
this dark world anyway. I’m just one man.”
Praise God, Noah didn’t say that. He didn’t picture himself as an
insignificant man whose life didn’t matter.
According to Hebrews, he saw himself as a man to whom God had
spoken and by faith, he obeyed God.
And because of that he ended up being the only thing that stood
between mankind and total destruction.
Next time you’re tempted to shrug off the instructions of God and
be disobedient, next time you catch yourself thinking, “It doesn’t matter
what I do — remember Noah.”
Consider the fact that, whether you understand it or not, God is
counting on you to carry out your part of His plan.
Live like you’re someone important in the kingdom of God.
And sooner or later you’ll realize, you are.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 6
Gloria
Copeland is
an internationally known Bible teacher and bestselling author. She holds an
honorary doctorate from Oral Roberts University. Gloria and her
husband, Kenneth, are the founders of Kenneth Copeland Ministries
in Fort Worth, Texas (www.kcm.org).
Genesis 6 - English Standard Version
(ESV)
Increasing Corruption on Earth
6 When man
began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons
of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their
wives any they chose. 3 Then
the Lord said, “My
Spirit shall not abide in[a] man forever, for he is
flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The
Nephilim[b] were on the earth in
those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters
of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of
old, the men of renown.
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man
was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his
heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man
on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So
the Lord said, “I will
blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and
creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made
them.” 8 But Noah found favor
in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9 These are
the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his
generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah
had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 Now the
earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And
God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had
corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God
said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled
with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make
yourself an ark of gopher wood.[d] Make rooms in the
ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. 15 This is
how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits,[e] its breadth 50 cubits,
and its height 30 cubits. 16 Make a
roof[f] for the ark, and
finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it
with lower, second, and third decks. 17 For
behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in
which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall
die. 18 But I will establish
my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your
wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19 And of
every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark
to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. 20 Of the
birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of
every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort
shall come in to you to keep them alive. 21 Also take
with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as
food for you and for them.” 22 Noah did
this; he did all that God commanded him.
Footnotes:
a.
Genesis 6:3 Or My Spirit shall not
contend with
b.
Genesis 6:4 Or giants
c.
Genesis 6:13 Hebrew The end of all
flesh has come before me
d.
Genesis 6:14 An unknown kind of tree;
transliterated from Hebrew
e.
Genesis 6:15 A cubit was
about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
f.
Genesis 6:16 Or skylight
English Standard
Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News
Publishers.
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