Worship, Walk, Work
As an addition to the previous writing on the new year, it’s interesting to note what happens immediately after Noah ‘beholds’ the dry ground before him as recorded in Genesis 8:13. Consider that it rained for forty days and forty nights (Genesis 7:12), and then the earth was flooded for 150 days (Genesis 7:24), and then there were another couple weeks of surveying the earth with a raven and a dove (Genesis 8:7-12) before the waters were dried up from the earth. After all that, we see in Genesis 8:14 that it wasn’t until the twenty-seventh day of the second month that God says, “Go out of the ark…”.
Two ideas come to mind as I read this and consider myself in this scenario. First, I would have had a hard time waiting almost another two months to go out. The excitement and enthusiasm of seeing sunlight and dry ground probably would have made it hard to contain myself. Second, maybe I would have just logically concluded that it is ‘of course’ time to go because much time has passed and the waters have receded; however, Noah did neither.
We don’t know what he did during those two months because the Bible doesn’t record it, but nonetheless, he didn’t go out until God said so. Enthusiasm and excitement didn’t lead, nor did his own logic or reasoning lead him; he was led only by the voice of the Lord. Noah worshiped God, walked with God, and spent years building a seemingly illogical ark at the expense of public mockery in obedience to God. Noah learned to listen to the voice of the Lord and inclined his heart to obedience in the throes of a mocking world, and in spite of any personal enthusiasm or reasoning. May this be the record of our faith too as we press on in this new year listening for the voice of the Lord as the Spirit empowers and enlivens the Word in our hearts.
As a concluding thought, consider Hebrews 11, which says, ‘By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.”
Noah:
“by faith…” -worship- a life surrendered to the great I AM
“in reverence…” -walk- willing to be set apart, in unashamed obedience
“built an ark” -work- for His glory, no matter the temporal influences.
Noah worshipped before walking with God, and his walking with God equipped and empowered him for his work. He was willing to be set apart, and didn’t shrink back when the work brought persecution. Worship, walk, and work. This rhythm seems to be a rhythm in coming to Christ, and a daily rhythm in living for Christ.
All that we are and all that we do must be rooted and enveloped in worship. We worship simply because He’s worthy. We walk in accordance to His ways and follow as a disciple in a spirit of worship. We do our work in a spirit of worship.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship, and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).
May this year be a year we’re all-in for His glory. If not now, when?
