I’ve always loved the story of Noah’s Ark, but this time around reading it, which was last week, for Come Follow Jesus, it resonated with me more than ever. I love the video by Taylor and Tyler below. Their main point is that just as Noah was blessed with an ark to survive the flood, we have been blessed with an “ark” to survive whatever flood is deluging us. For most of us, it is the flood of discouragement, bad news, etc. The ark is our covenants with Jesus Christ.

Some people say the story is a myth, or, if they say it really happened, they might say that the flood wasn’t universal, that it just covered part of the earth. I disagree. Genesis 6:17 says that “all” flesh would be destroyed. In that verse God told Noah that, “every thing that is in the earth shall die.” If only a part of the earth were covered by the flood, all flesh would not die.

Here are some of my favorite resources for learning more about Noah’s Flood:

-Universal Model Volume 1, Chapter 8, starting on page 476. Here is a video below explaining 13 scientific marks of the Flood. Watch, enjoy and learn why the rocks all around us are “rock solid evidence of the Flood.”

-Universal Model Volume 2, pages 429-431. Get it here.

-The Ark Encounter Museum in Williamstown KY is a complete replica of the ark, with the museum inside. The creators built it with the exact proportions for the ark given in the Bible. Amazing! I want to go there!

–The Flood Museum in Nauvoo Illinois gives scientific evidence for the Flood. The video below shows a visit to it. It looks like it’s closed right now but will open in the spring. You can order the books sold in the gift shop online. They look so fascinating!

Why does the story of Noah’s Ark matter? Because it shows God’s mercy and everlasting power to save the righteous. If it’s true, it means God creates amazing ways to rescue us, His people. If it’s a myth, the story is not powerful.

I love what Al Carraway says about the story on her Facebook and IG pages. (Dated 2/6/2022) Wow! She really applies the story to herself and because of that, I can see how to apply the story to me. Thank you Al!

Here’s part of what she wrote:

“It’s fine to know scriptures stories to retell but if we can’t see ourselves in them, then knowing them becomes completely irrelevant.

What helps is asking myself: 1. What could they have been feeling? I have felt that too.

& 2: “b/c of___, that means___for me.”

Today’s Come Follow Me was Noah’s ark, let’s do it on that:

Noah was asked to do something hard, something new, something that didn’t make sense at first. I am Noah.

Noah was in a life destroying storm that lasted a long time, I have been in long storms, too. I am Noah.

Noah was asked to leave behind, to start fresh, same with me, I am Noah.

He must have felt super afraid of what will come next, me too.

He might have felt judged when he was building, he must have felt alone in the ark, I have felt judged & alone. I am Noah.

Noah had to trust God when it meant a lot of sacrifice, loneliness, struggles, me too, I am Noah.

When we are the character, which we always are,

& the story is about us, which it always will be

we are connected to them & are invested to see what happens

Scriptures blossom & God’s guidance surfaces.

Now we find the point in it all:

‘B/c of___, that means___for me.’

b/c Noah built an ark, means I can do new hard & uncertain things.”

She wrote a lot more! So you’ll have to check it out.

Last of all, I love that God gave us a token, the rainbow, from the end of Noah’s story, to remind us of his love and rescuing power. The one above, shot from my previous home in AZ, is faint, but it’s there! Because He sends a rainbow, whenever He sends it, it means He lives, loves you, and is watching over you. He has sent His son, the ultimate ark, to bring you back from the flood of wickedness on the world.

Noah’s Ark puzzle by Eric Dowdle from dowdlefolkart.com