“So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.”Genesis 6:22 (NLT)
If you're going to make it to the finish line in life and fulfill the vision God has given you, then you’re going to have to make a choice: Even while facing setbacks, you’re going to have to do exactly what God tells you to do—without taking shortcuts.
God gave Noah specific instructions about how to build the ark: He told Noah to build it with cypress wood and seal it with tar. Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high, with three decks and stalls throughout the interior, one door, and an 18-inch opening all the way around the boat just below the roof. He told Noah how many animals and how much food to load on the boat.
“So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him” (Genesis 6:22 NLT).
At any stage of your life, you're going to be tempted to cut corners. You're going to be tempted to take the easy way, skimp a little here and there, skip a step, or fudge a little on the accounts. God will tell you what to do, and you’ll think how much easier and faster it would be to do it your way or that you know better than God. You’ll follow through, but on your own terms.
That kind of thinking will cause you to miss your purpose and God's plan every time. Why? Because partial obedience is disobedience.
Can you imagine Noah trying to accomplish what God told him to do in his own way rather than God's way? I can imagine Noah had some questions, like, “Is it really necessary, God, to bring mosquitoes on board?”
But a dream from God will require God’s blessing. And you cannot get God’s blessing when you are disobedient. God’s vision for Noah was too big for Noah to accomplish with his own power and his own plans. He knew he couldn’t do it without God’s blessing, and so he did everything exactly as God had commanded him.
When you’re tempted to take shortcuts, you need to remember this paraphrase of Genesis 6:9: Noah “tried always to conduct his affairs according to God's will” (TLB).
Do you want this to be true of your life? You have to decide that you will choose God’s way for God’s blessing, even when it doesn’t make sense.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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