“Make yourself an ark of cypress wood” Genesis 6:14
The forecast of an approaching storm is a guarantee of life. It isn’t like some weatherman who guesses maybe it will rain or maybe not. How will you prepare for that storm?
God says to build a boat to face the coming storm. When the skies are blue and bright, it isn’t an easy plan to implement. Like Noah, many around you will mock your preparation. Find strength to continue your preparations. When the storm comes upon the horizon, it is too late to get ready.
The soul needs to strengthen itself, ‘building a boat’ of trust in which to rest when the rain starts. We prepare by learning Who God is through the Bible. We draw close to Him through prayer. But, not just reading the Bible or saying an ‘Our Father’. We must truly become students at the Master’s feet, learning how He thinks and how to think like Him through the Scripture. We must sow the ground of our hearts and minds to accept seeds planted by the Lord through His story. We must listen in prayer for His ‘still, small voice.’ We need to learn prayer is about trust. Offering our surrender in exchange for Jesus. Not asking for gifts or treasure. Simply sitting at the knee of God. Trusting His presence and love, even if there appears no answer or total silence.
Build the boat that will lift you from the swelling floods of the storm. When everyone else is being drowned by the tempests and rains, climb into your boat. Taking the time to build this boat of faith and trust has the side benefit of inviting Jesus aboard. When this storm starts to really rage, you can rest in the trust that Jesus is with you and that the storm answers to Him alone. Call upon Him and He will calm the storm in your life.
“A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”” Mark 4:37-41