“Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation’ ” (Genesis 7:1).
Getting onto a boat might save your life, especially if you are a desperate migrant heading for Europe from North Africa. In a single day in 2014, Royal Navy ships plucked 3,500 immigrants from overcrowded boats in the Mediterranean Sea. Among the rescued were pregnant mothers and small children. Many reported harrowing tales that drove them to flee their country. The 577-foot Navy ship, the HMS Bulwark, picked up 700 migrants and immediately gave the starving people bread and water. Human traffickers in Libya often overload flimsy boats. Over three thousand died in 2014.
Noah and his family were rescued by entering a solid ship, escaping the devastating worldwide flood that destroyed all animal and human life on the earth. Only eight people were kept from perishing. The entire world had rejected the warnings from the preacher of righteousness. Just one family was saved.
Why? The Lord said, “Because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.” Noah wasn’t just a great boat builder or a desperate migrant sneaking onto a vessel. His character opened the door to passage onto the ark. Noah’s faith, which influenced the lives of his family, provided them with a ticket to safety. His example as a father and husband blessed his entire household.
When you feel that you are sinking into despair over your responsibilities in the home, remember Noah. Though ridiculed for his faith by an evil generation, he stood like a rock. It saved his life, his wife’s life, and the lives of his three sons and their wives. Don’t step into the flimsy boats of popularity or pleasure. They will sink. Only when you live by God’s Word are you safe in the ark of His hands.
O God, give me strength to stand responsibly in my home duties. I ask for wisdom to lead my family today in Your righteous paths.
