In rereading Genesis, I'm struck by how quickly the world had become so evil in such a short amount of time, nine generations I counted from Adam to Noah's sons. God's masterpiece corroded quickly after Eve was tempted in the Garden of Eden. In fact, the world must have become an abominable place for God to have felt the need to destroy it by Noah's time. Luckily, God chose Noah as the world's one last chance. Described in the Bible as a man who was blameless among the people and who walked with God, Noah followed God's commands. He trusted that God would guide him, his family, and the creatures of the earth who boarded the ark to safety in spite of the massive destruction that surrounded them.
Why had people become so evil? It would seem that God's people had everything they could possibly need by the Biblical evidence that people were living to the ages of 700 to 900 years old! However, in Genesis 8: 21, God says that every inclination of man's heart is evil from childhood. But despite the world's corruption, God in his ultimate forgiveness stated never to destroy "all living creatures" as he had done again.
Noah had great faith. It is clear by his willingness to create the mammoth ark and obey God's unconventional ultimatum. Living in apocalyptic times, Noah literally became the caretaker for the future of the earth. With great courage, beyond any courage that I could ever imagine, since I am the veritable cowardly lioness, Noah stepped out into the unfamiliar. He placed greater trust than is ever called upon in God and God's promise to guide him.
Ergo, Noah was given the unfamiliar task of mastering a colossal ship through torrential storms into uncharted territory. During the long months adrift at sea, Noah continued to wait for the signs from God that their journey had ended. The white dove is symbolic here; just as it was the messenger for Noah of God's faithfulness to bring the ark to dry land, several thousand years later the dove once again became the messenger of God's faithfulness when the Holy Spirit in the image of a dove descended upon Jesus at His Baptism (Matthew 3:16). Here we see once again, God's promise in the sign of a dove to deliver us from sin, this time through His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. At the core of our faith is this message of the dove. Noah trusted in it, and we are to trust in it.
Why can't I have half the faith of Noah? When life becomes unfamiliar, I cling tooth and nail to what I know. My trust in God is weak as I fail to release my grip on the things that have a hold on me . . . I fear letting go of my current lifestyle to fulfill a greater purpose God has for me. It is clear that there are habits, as all of us have, which I need to let go - generally wasting the precious time I have on this earth on meaningless activities. Like Noah, I must trust in the Lord, move from my current state of paralysis, and walk with God to wherever He may lead me.
Through prayer, I ask You, Father in Heaven, take my hand and escort me over the ramparts of my fear. Help me to commit myself to Your will in all things as did Your faithful son Noah. Give me the wisdom, understanding, and courage for the mission You have for me on this earth. As I follow Your path, Lord, remind me always to reach out to others with love, encouragement, and solace. Allow Your joy to shine through me in all my interactions with others, even when I'm shown unpleasantness in return.
As we are all called to discipleship, in this mission let me begin each day recalling Your words, dear Jesus, "How many burdens can you lighten this year? How many hearts can you cheer? How many souls can you help?" (God Calling, Two Listeners,16).
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