Once Adam and Eve welcomed sin into the world, God's creation moved in a swift, downward direction.  Within the first seven chapters of the Bible, the litany of evils that plagued the culture was so unthinkable that God decided the only hope was to wipe the earth of the mess and to start again.  So He took the one and only faithful man and his family and gave them very specific instructions for building a vessel to escape a disaster of devastating proportions.  

It is at this point in the story that my church nursery experience comes into play and I think about the pretty Noah's Ark border around the room as well as the cute little Fisher Price toys depicting the animals that Noah took with him on the journey.  As nice as those memories are, however, they are far from the reality of the situation.  The courage that it must have taken for Noah to build the ark amidst the mocking and the jeering of his peers must of have been of epic proportion.  And then to consider the terror of watching loved ones drown before your very eyes – hearing their screams and their cries for help – is unimaginable.  Yet Noah knew what he needed to do, and he faithfully followed God's instructions through to the end.

I can't help but wonder how my life would be different if I had the courage to faithfully follow God's instructions the way that Noah did.  What if I, too, had enough trust in my Heavenly Father that I was willing to sacrifice my reputation and everything I have so I could follow hard after Him?  In Noah we see this: Extreme faith leads to extreme obedience.