Would I build an ark?

So it is a new year and we are back to the grind of daily living. Our church has started something for 2009 which I think is pretty cool and exciting. Their "mantra" (if you will) is "simple obedience." Just that we as people who love God would just be obedient, just do what He says to do.

Do you ever say this to your kids? "Just obey me, that is all you have to do. That is your job." Yet they continually disobey. I guess we can be like that with God. He says, "Just forgive. Just love your enemy. Just let me be the judge." Yet we whine and disobey. Oh that we would simply obey.

Anyway, in line with simple obedience we are doing church-wide weekly Bible readings for the next 20 weeks. So today we are to read Genesis 6-7:24 which tells the story of Noah and the ark. And yes, I must admit one of my first mental images was of Steve Carell in Evan Almighty (which I haven't actually seen; I just think Steve can be hysterical. And yes, we are on a first name basis.)

So I am reading this morning the story that I have read with my kids 100 times. But this time was different. For one I wasn't looking at caricatures of stubby animals or Noah with a big nose petting an elephant. It was just me and God's Word. Two things hit me.

1. It is possible to walk faithful to God when the world around you is disobedient and corrupt. If we set our eyes on Him, then we can walk in peace and joy, despite our circumstance. And God has definitely proved this truth in my life for 2008. Through the darkest season of my life He has strengthened me to walk with an unexplainable joy. He is real. He is good.
2. I want to be one of the ones that God would find faithful, even to build an ark if He asked. Would I? Would I do something that appears to others to be absolutely ridiculous and completely absurd simply because God asked me to do it? Wow, I hope so. I guess the first thing is to make sure I would hear Him if He asked, which means knowing what He asks, which means being in His Word. I must admit that I do love His Word; it has changed my life.

Well, I guess that is enough preaching for one morning.

On a completely different note, does anyone know how to get a chapstick stain out of fabric? My 2 year old enjoyed my 4 year old daughter's chapstick so much that he had to share it with her bedspread. Now there is a constant reminder of how big his hand was at the time of said event. He is still working on simple obedience.

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