April 26
Noah
Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household…” Genesis 7:1 (NKJV)
Something significant tends to get overlooked when it comes to Noah’s narrative. Of course, we have the Lord speaking to him from heaven, we have the huge boat being built, we have all of the animals, we have all of these epic events happening. But take note that in the midst of everything, Noah’s household went into the ark with him.
Noah’s household consisted of his wife, his three sons and his three daughters-in-law. In other words, Noah’s immediate family was saved along with him. Again, there’s something significant about that.
Oftentimes, we can become preoccupied with the grandiose and the great. We can subtly start to measure our spiritual success in extreme terms. How far and wide did we venture for the gospel’s sake? How many people did we lead to the Lord? How many hours have we put in serving at church? How many lives have we touched and impacted?
Not that any of those things are bad in and of themselves, but we can get so wrapped up in these things that we neglect the thing that’s right in front of us…our family. And when that happens, when family is neglected at the expense of other epic endeavors outside of the home, it’s not a success story in God’s sight.
In keeping with Noah’s example, our faith ought to have an effect on our own household. We should be giving all due diligence to make sure they’re in the “ark” along with us. This is especially true for husbands and fathers, who have been entrusted with the spiritual leadership of their home (Ephesians 5:24-33). Nobody is going to be perfect in this regard, but putting a spiritual priority on our own family is a non-negotiable.
Is your own household in the ark along with you? If not, are you doing everything you can to make that happen? Spiritual success starts at home.
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
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