At the age of 480 years old and for the following 120 years - the time God gave people in Noah’s generation to repent, Noah started preaching the Good News and building an ark to save his family and those who would repent from their sins. Unfortunately, people would not believe God’s warnings through Noah.
In the fullness of time, God commanded Noah to take pairs of all animals and all members of his household on board the ark because in the following 7 days, the Lord was finally going to carry out His warning to destroy all ungodly people of that generation. Noah obeyed God's commandment and just as promised, the floodgates of heaven and every spring of water was opened by God on the 7th day.
We too are looking to God for our salvation and needs. When we watch the news and see what it happening in the world, we may find ourselves in despair. We have lots of questions about when things will change for the better. And as we read our bible, justice and fulfilment of God’s promises seems a far cry.
In times like this, we need to pray and listen. We need to put things into the right perspective for there are some promises for now and others for the future.
In the story above had Noah misheard God to say the floods would come anytime sooner than 120 years, he would have become frustrated and given up too soon.
In the same vein, if Noah wasn’t fully accustomed with God’s ways and voice, he would not have heard the instruction when the time to get on board the ark had come.
This leaves me wondering – how many of us have missed the harvest when it has come?
Conversely how many have acted too soon before the harvest is ready?
Today before we arrange that vacation, start the project, visit the doctor, etc. why not ask for the gift of discernment of the times and what we need to do, when we need to do it and with whom? Let’s emulate the tribe of Issachar:
From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.
1 Chronicles 12: 32 [NLT]
Farai Mutsambiwa
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