“This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.” Gen 6:9 (NIV)
God’s workmanship included Noah. When we meet him in Scripture, we are drawn to Noah because he is the kind of daddy every child desires. He is in right standing with God and other people. Noah lives in harmony with God. He walks with God.
It sounds like Noah is a finished product. When we read about him in this verse, it appears that Noah has arrived. Where can he go from here? Yet, God takes Noah on an aquatic journey that is preceded by a perpetual dry season.
As God’s workmanship, Noah has to learn how to trust God when circumstances do not make sense and delays are as frequent as the shifting shadows. Noah’s life becomes a consistent pattern of waiting.
Can you relate? Are you agonizing over something in your life that seems to linger? Waiting does not come naturally to us. We live in a high tech world that delivers information faster than the blink of an eye. We expect instant responses and instant results. Yet, God does not seem to be on our timetable.
Could it be that part of being God’s workmanship includes more than just us employing good works? Maybe God wants us to see His value in the process more than the finished product. Maybe it’s not so much about the ark. Maybe it’s more about what is on the inside of the ark. God is really passionate about the interior of our lives.
While you are waiting, God is working!
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care