Genesis 6:22

So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

In Genesis 6, God commanded Noah to build an ark because He was going to send rain to flood the earth. He gave Noah the exact specifications on how to build the ark, what animals to bring on board, and how He would flood the earth; it was all laid out for Noah. Up to this point, rain had never fallen from the sky: it had only come up from the ground. This means God’s instructions required Noah to have faith for something he had not seen, and to be obedient to do what God commanded.

In verse 22, it says that “Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him”, and in the following chapter, Noah was saved according to his obedience. Similarly, in Joshua 6, God instructs the Israelites on how they were to enter Jericho: by marching around the walls for 7 days until the walls fell down. It took faith for Joshua to be obedient to believe that God would deliver them this way, because realistically, that doesn’t make sense.

In these stories, we see examples of how God revealed His plan to His people, but in a way that doesn’t normally make sense. However, these men had faith to believe that God would do exactly what He said He would do, and therefore they were obedient, even when it meant doing something that wasn’t easily comprehended by others.

Today, this might look like God asking you to do something outside of your comfort zone, but through it, God moves, blesses, surrounds, and provides in a way you could never have imagined.

Sometimes, God doesn’t reveal every step of His plan until we are walking in it. Other times, God reveals exactly how He is going to do something, but to our human mind, it doesn’t necessarily make sense. When we partner our faith with being obedient to God, we get to see Him hold true to His word.

Family Discussion Questions

1. What are some other stories in the Bible where God delivers in ways that are beyond our human understanding?

2. What are some examples of stories where people were not obedient to God? What do you think stopped them from being obedient?

Response - Reflect

Reflect on a time you have been obedient to God and seen His provision and blessing in a surprising way. How does this encourage and challenge you to keep a posture of faith and obedience in your life?

Day 7 – “What Do You Mean?”