We can feel very lonely in this wicked world, can’t we? The world is so hostile to God. God is so hostile to the world. If the world is so hostile to God, how can I have any friends in the world? If God is so hostile to the world, will he want to be friends with me? No friends in the world. No friend in heaven.
But Noah encourages us that we can have a heavenly friend in this hostile world. “Noah walked with God” (9). Noah walked with God even though surrounded by a wicked world. God walked with Noah even though surrounded by a wicked world. We can have a heavenly friend in this hostile world.
WALKING WITH GOD MEANS AGREEING WITH GOD
The prophet Amos asked, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). Not for long. Who wants to go on a walk with someone we disagree with on everything. That’s not a walk; that’s a war.
- Noah and God agreed about truth
- Noah and God agreed about holiness
If we’re not agreeing with God, we’re arguing with God. We cannot agree with God without disagreeing with the world.
Yes, but I need someone to talk to and someone who will listen to me.
WALKING WITH GOD MEANS CONVERSATION WITH GOD
Noah and God didn’t just walk in silence. They talked together.
- Noah spoke and listened to God
- God spoke and listened to Noah
Walking with God is talking with God.
Yes, but I can’t grow spiritually in a world like this?
WALKING WITH GOD MEANS ADVANCING WITH GOD
You can’t walk and stay in the same place, can you? No, you go forward. You progress. You advance.
- Noah advanced in faith: He believed God’s Word about the promised flood.
- Noah advanced in obedience: He built in ark for many decades surrounded by daily mockery.
- Noah advanced in courage: Walking with God made him courageous in a hostile world.
- Noah advanced in happiness: He was the perfectly blessed man of Psalm 1 before there even was a Psalm 1.
We cannot grow upward in faith, unless we go forward with God.
LIVING THE BIBLE
If God can walk with us despite with wickedness of this world, let’s walk with God in every-day life despite the wickedness of the world.
This episode of Living the Bible lines up with Expedition 3: Day 3 in Exploring the Bible Together: A 52 Week Family Worship Plan and Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids. You can catch up with previous episodes of the Living the Bible podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast.
