The heart of a prophet lives in you

Pound, pound, smack, clang, “Ouch,” yelled Noah. “Really?” “How many times can a person smack their thumb in a day?” “I can’t believe this; I’m not getting anything done!”

“One board at a time, that’s all I can do,” he mumbles.

As the sun slowly slips below the horizon, Noah notices the house becoming increasingly quiet. “Just one more plank and I’ll call it a day; I won’t miss dinner tonight — not tonight.”

He picks up a board and nails it into place, puts his tools inside the ship and makes his way into the house.

“Hello everyone,” Noah says with a forced smile (attempting to hide his fatigue).

“Good evening,” says his neighbor Jesse.

“Hello,” his children say in unison.

“Looks like you’re getting a lot done out there,” says his wife with a warm smile.

“It’s going OK,” replies Noah shooting her a quick wink.

“Well, let’s all sit down and eat,” invites his wife.

Noah gave thanks for the food and began passing platters to Jesse who couldn’t help but notice the array of splinters covering Noah’s hands.

Trying not to stare Jesse says, “If you need a little help sometime just let me know.”

“You bet,” says Noah starring at his plate.

(“If I had a dime for every time someone said they would help...” Noah thinks to himself.) Sorrow fills Noah’s heart; the weight of the call makes his shoulders drop involuntarily.

“What is it, Noah?” says his wife.

Noah snaps back to reality and paints a smile across his face trying to hide his inner turmoil.

“Nothing; I’m sorry, my mind was somewhere else.”

Another forced smile appears, this time from his wife.

When everyone was fast asleep, Noah snuck outside and stood by the ark. He glanced back at the house to assure he was alone, reached out and touched the ark. As his hand met the wood, he was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. He felt honored and privileged to have a task such as this, yet the burden was wearing him out.

He squeezed his eyes shut and whispered, “Lord, you asked me to build this ark; give me the strength to complete this task; give me courage and I beg you to take away my doubt.”

Noah began weeping rivers of tears; it seemed the flood would start early if he didn’t stop bawling.

While his hand remained on the ark, Noah felt the Lord draw near, “Don’t stop, you heard from Me; I am with you.”

Oh, the heart of a prophet. Genesis 6:9 says, “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” Later in Genesis 6:17-18 God tells Noah he was going to destroy all life under heavens, and every creature that has breath of life in it, but would make a covenant with Noah. God would spare Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. What an honor! What an assignment and yet — what a burden. Noah must’ve known full-well friends, co-workers and people he grew up with would soon perish and he couldn’t prevent it. Having said that, it is safe to say Noah must have felt like an outsider. Still, Noah was determined to finish the ark and would seal up the doors when the Lord told him it was time.

I wonder how Noah’s family felt as they watched him build the ark; after all it hadn’t rained before — ever! Did they think he lost his mind when he said God spoke to him? Did they mock him behind his back as one year rolled into the other, or in respect for him, did they pitch in and help him once and awhile? We are not told. What we are told is God gave Noah this task, and he finished it.

When the rain came did his family cling to every word he spoke? Let your spiritual ears hear: “What’s going to happen now, Dad?” Noah’s bride says, “Oh, Noah...”

How does this relate to you and me? Can we share in the ache of fulfilling God’s will or plan for our life? Absolutely! Have you spent years praying for a loved one to find salvation? Have you endured a relationship even to the extent of ridicule by your family or friends? Maybe when everyone walked away from a “lost cause” you couldn’t turn your back on them! Simply said, you stayed.

Did you feel the weight of the call as eyes were being rolled behind your back? If so, welcome to full-time ministry! Congratulations; you have made the spiritual dean’s list! You are an overachiever, a person after God’s own heart, and God sees it and has put you in charge of some big tasks here on earth. You may not be getting a paycheck for your duties now, but you will be eternally rewarded for a life well lived.

We are called to love God and love others and in that order. Surely when God asked you to invite that stranger to church you were being watched by non-believers too and it took courage. Jesus was giving you a high-five as you spoke to the stranger. How about the time you shared your faith with someone you loved? God saw the joy in your soul as well as the fear of rejection. I hope you know you made God smile. What about the time you prayed with a co-worker, visited someone in jail or gave large part of your paycheck to a family in need? Did you feel the hesitation and push through it anyway?

Whether you have gone around the globe on a mission trip or across the street to share the love of Jesus, you have carried the weight of the cross and answered the call of God. Whatever you have done, you have done unto him. Way to go! I wonder if the heart of a prophet lives in you, too.

Cory Williamson lives in Palmer and is the author of the new book “Warriors Are Made.”