Doing as God Commanded
Genesis 6:9-22 NET
Please take the time to read this section of scripture above.
When I read something like this and see how God so directly spoke to Noah and told him exactly what to do I think to myself, "why doesn't God speak to me this way?".
If God would only tell me exactly what He wants me to do I feel like I would be so faithful. I realize I am human and selfish, but I know that I want to follow God. I want so strongly for God to say that of me, that I did as He commanded. If I only knew what that was.
And then I realize He has told me, and this is not a trick. He has told me exactly what He wants me to do and he has written it out in His word. I believe that prayer matters and affects God. I believe that God hears and answers prayers so I do not mean to say that all is written in stone and that God will not communicate to me outside of the Word. But God has revealed Himself through His word. I mean that I can spend a lifetime learning, and following God's commands to me that He has laid out in His word.
I also believe (as a pastor once said) that God will never contradict His word, so if in prayer I feel God is telling me to do something, yet I am uncertain still I can look in scripture for further confirmation.
This is much like Noah, the ark served two purposes (probably more than that but two for our purposes here) it a. wiped the slate clean so in that way God's justice was revealed, and it b. provided renewal for earth and man which also showed God's mercy and brought Glory to God.
Note, when I discuss commands I am not referring to works as in "to earn salvation", but as in how we live as redeemed children of God. Noah was blamless before he was commanded, and I believe that even though I can not earn my salvation (praise God for that) that it does not mean that God does not ask things of me. Not all has God through grace saved me but He is also stating that He can use me. I don't know about you, but I have done some messed up things in my life and the thought that God can use me for good is really unimaginable if I stop to think about it.
When I pray I can ask God to reveal Himself through scripture to me. I can pray that He make clear to me what commands He has given me and what I am not doing or need to do. Bringing scripture into prayer can be a powerful act of unity and can help connect what I learn through the study of God's word and what I experience through interaction and communication in prayer.
I need to do this
