1 Peter 3:20 KJV
[20] “which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”
Think about the days Noah lived in before the flood. It was a wicked day when the thoughts of men were evil continually. Noah had no church or pastor to encourage him, but he found grace to live godly in an ungodly day. He heard the preaching of Enoch that the Lord is coming with ten thousand of his saints to execute judgment on this earth. He considered the name Methuselah, which means “when he dies, it shall come.” Noah became a preacher of righteousness in telling the world that judgment was soon coming!
He then had another message for humanity that seemed almost unbelievable. He preached as much with his hands as he did his mouth. He began to build an ark because a flood was coming soon. The world had never seen either at this time. You can imagine the skepticism that must have run through the villages of that day. Noah faced mocking and ridicule for the message that he preached.
The world did not believe Noah but rejected his message and scoffed at his labor. However, Noah remained faithful to what God had called him to do. Finally, God shut the door on the ark on that terrible day of judgment. Noah did not have one convert on board the ark apart from his family. Through all of his labor, toil, and tears, the world thought him to be a fool. Then it began to rain and thunder. Finally, the heavens opened up, and the flood was in full force. As Noah sat inside the ark with his family and the animals, he must have pondered about what was happening. He must have been thankful for the ark as it provided shelter and safety for his family.
You see, the world saw Noah as a failure. He was probably also seen as a failure by the so-called religious world. He was not a failure but a great man of faith. Noah sat inside the ark, knowing he had fully obeyed God. He had accomplished what God had commanded him to do. He had won the most precious people in the world, and they were safe with him inside the ark. Dear reader, the world may reject our message, but if we obey God and reach our loved ones, we can be satisfied. Eight people may not seem like a lot until you realize who they are. If Noah had filled the ark with people but lost his family, I wonder how that boat ride would have been. As we attempt to reach the world, let us not lose our loved ones in the process. Win your family members to Christ before it’s too late.