Noah’s faith was thoughtful and reflective in a corrupt and violent world. He must have thought deeply about God and the culture he lived in. He obviously was a man of prayer and meditation on the teachings he had received from his ancestors. Faith is not blind as some say. Faith is built on the thoughtful reflection on some of the greatest questions in life. What’s real? Is there a God? If God is real how should I live?

“This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” (Genesis 6:9, NLT)

When we commit our lives to Christ we may not understand it all but we have come to a thoughtful conclusion that God exists, my sin has separated me from Him, He sent his Son to die in our place so that we could be redeemed, and He invites and welcomes us to receive him as Lord and Savior.

Most Christians are extremely thoughtful. Noah certainly was.

• He believed the legacy of faith passed down to him through the line of Seth. That was a faith choice.
• He chose to live a righteous life and blameless life. That was philosophic choice.
• He acted upon the Word of God to build an ark. He used the technology of that era to build a massive boat.
• By doing so he came through the disaster and saved his family.

The story of Noah is a story of thoughtful and reflective faith. In the first chapter of his book, How Should We Then Live, Frances Schaeffer wrote,

“To understand where we are in today’s world—in our intellectual ideas and in our cultural and political lives—we must trace three lines in history, namely, the philosophic, the scientific, and the religious. The philosophic seeks intellectual answers to the basic questions of life. The scientific has two parts: first, the makeup of the physical universe, and then the practical application of what it discovers in technology. The direction in which science will move is set by the philosophic world-view of the scientists. People’s religious views also determine the direction of their individual lives and of their society.”

 Schaeffer, F. A. (1982). The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer: a Christian worldview (Vol. 5, p. 84). Westchester, IL: Crossway Books.

When a disaster or tragedy strikes, stop and prayerfully think. Prepare ahead of time for those inevitable challenges that will arise. Don’t make a decision when you are frightened, angry, or anxious. Instead remember the Word of God, seek out solid and mature Christian counsel, talk with your pastor, a small group leader and pray to God who is always with you!

1. Have you thought deeply about what you believe?
2. Have you wrestled with the questions of reality, does God exist, and if He does what should I do?
3. Have you prepared spiritually, emotionally, and physically for a storm in your life. They do come.
4. Are you a part of a faithful and committed small group and local church?

Peace!