The Obedience of Faith
Noah
Tinted Charcoal & Pastel Pencil
© 2021 Adelaine Nohara
“WE HAVE RECEIVED GRACE AND APOSTLESHIP TO BRING ABOUT THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH FOR THE SAKE OF HIS NAME AMONG ALL THE NATIONS”
Romans 1:5
Our days are not unlike the days of moral decay that preceded the great Flood of Genesis. Like Noah, the God-fearing man is an anomaly in the midst of a corrupt generation and confused society. The devout Christian often stands alone in his faith and moral convictions, and a time will come – and may soon be approaching – when Christ will return with Justice in his Hand.
Noah was a fool in the sight of his contemporaries, a victim of their scorn and mockery. By building that ark in obedience to the Divine Command, he subjected himself to the daily martyrdom of public opinion. However, Noah did not fear this martyrdom. He believed God’s words to him. Noah trusted. He knew, by faith, that he would not be put to any ultimate shame. When at last the rains fell, the scorn of the world dissipated, the false security of his adversaries gave way to fear and calamity, meanwhile Noah, aboard the ark, stood secure and unafraid.
Real faith – and real strength – is the unflinching determination and courage to live by God’s Word in the face of human derision. If, like Noah, we obey God’s commandments in the present moment, we need not have any fear of the future, for the Lord defends His own. If we dedicate ourselves daily to the building of our personal ark – the edifice of our faith – it will shelter us from God’s derision and judgement when it falls upon the world. May the same Holy Spirit that upheld Noah amidst the derision and judgment of the world uphold our lives and hearts today; and may we strive to inspire others to turn back to God, and begin to build their own arks, through the grace of apostleship and evangelization.