Treasures in Heaven
(Matthew 6:19-20)
19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven , where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
Many blessings to the man who loves and obeys the Lord, always walking in His ways! His work will be fruitful, and he will be happy in every aspect of his life.
Psalm 128: 1-2
Did you know that God speaks to people? Yes, He can speak in many ways: through the Bible, He can speak to our hearts, He can speak through a message we hear from someone, through dreams, and in many other ways.
But in ancient times, God spoke to some people with his own voice. That's true! People heard God's voice with their own ears.
Have you ever thought how great it would be to hear God's voice like that?
When God wanted to tell someone something that was going to happen and tell them what to do, He Himself came and gave them the message. But many other people didn't believe it.
Noah heard God's voice and was harshly criticized, but that did not mean he became discouraged and stopped obeying.
That's right, today is Noah's Ark Story Day! Let's learn more!
Noah Saved His Family and the Animals Because He Believed What God Said Until the End
Bible Reference: Genesis 6–9
There was a time when people were very, very wicked. They thought horrible things, were violent, lied, committed crimes all the time, and did all kinds of evil—even to their own families.
God was so saddened by humanity that He decided to destroy the world He had created. Among so many people, was there no one good?
Yes, there was only one righteous man who walked with God—his name was Noah. So God decided to speak to Noah and tell him His plan. Do you know what it was?
He said:
—Noah, you must build a large ark, because I will cover the whole earth with water. There will be a flood! It will rain so much that every living creature on earth will die. But it will be different for you: I promise to make a covenant with you. You will go into the ark with your wife, your three sons, and their wives. You will also bring a pair of every kind of animal into the ark so they can survive with you.
Wow, that sounds amazing—an ark!
Well, it sounds great, but it wasn’t easy for Noah…
God gave him all the instructions, down to the smallest detail, about how the ark should be built: the type of wood, the size, how to construct it… God took care of every detail, and Noah obeyed Him.
But building the ark was a huge task! After all, it had to be big enough to hold so many animals—monkeys, giraffes, lions, elephants, goats, birds, snakes, dogs, and many more! Just imagine having to build spaces for all those animals! And there also had to be enough room to store food and everything they would need while inside the ark!
Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded and spent many years building that massive structure. But even though he fully trusted God, the wicked people around him must have mocked him, laughed at him, and made fun of him… They probably thought he was crazy! Noah knew he wasn’t crazy, but it must have been very hard to endure so much ridicule…
Noah worked and worked and worked, and the ark was ready. Then God warned that the flood was coming and that it was time to do what had been agreed upon. As soon as it started to rain, everyone rushed into the ark. Do you think the animals came to Noah on their own? That was truly a miracle!
After everyone was on board, God closed the door of the ark.
It rained for forty days and forty nights, and the whole earth was flooded with water, leaving no one alive outside the ark.
After nearly a year, the waters receded, and Noah was finally able to leave the ark with his family and all the animals safe and sound to begin their life on earth anew. God kept his promise and, to mark his covenant with Noah, placed a beautiful rainbow in the sky, guaranteeing that he would never again destroy the earth with water.
What did you learn from the story of Noah's Ark?
Noah was a very firm man in his decision to obey God. Although many people called him crazy for so many years, he continued to do what God had commanded him to do.
But what would have happened if he had doubted God's voice and listened to what people were saying? If he had done that, he certainly wouldn't have built the ark and would have died along with everyone else.
This teaches us that when God tells us something, even if it seems crazy and people speak badly of us, we cannot give up.
God is faithful to what He says and fulfills what He promises. Noah, his family, and the animals were saved because he believed what God said and chose to obey to the end. God's Word is worth trusting!
It is TIME to PRAY
God, I know I can trust what you tell me because you keep your promises. I trust you and will obey you to the end, even if others laugh at me. They may even try to make me doubt, but I will not renounce your Word. In Jesus' name, amen.
