Lesson 8: Slide
The Ark speaks…to successful people…Be alert in temptation! SLIDE. Noah was almost an immaculate man. He stood firm on God’s truth in the totally depraved world. He walked faithfully with God. He obeyed God’s command to build The Ark. He preached for 120 years inviting people to repent to God. He was a righteousness man in his time. He was a smart guy strategically to get off The Ark. He was a capable man to plant and got fruitful harvest. He was a hero in keeping we human linage. If without him, without us. After flood, he was top of the new world. Now Noah was turning a new page of his life. How was he going? He slides! It’s pity. Noah had passed severe trials and tests in the old world. He succeeded. Now he walked into the new world. He enjoyed what he had done. He was slacked. He was losing alertness to temptation. He stumbled, leaving a dirty mark in his life. Maybe we no need too harsh to Noah. It is because all we know that no human is perfect. Nevertheless, Noah’s life gives an amber light to those who are successful or have brilliant record in God’s file.
We all know that temptation always strikes at our weakest point. Temptation is liked a guy dressed all black hiding in the dark watching you and find opportunity to entice you to sin. He always comes out when we are hurt, when we are under stress, when we are in troubles and problems or when we are in crisis, in valleys…oh, perhaps most severe temptation is when we are on the mountain top and no one beside you, no one tell you with some good advice. Even spiritual guy like Noah did fall on that. He succeeded to save the whole world by building The Ark. He did everything successfully with God’s blessing. After flood, he planted on earth and bore abundant fruitful return. He did winemaking. He made his own brand. He overdrank alcohol of his success. And he became slack, slide and sin. Genesis 9 tells this.
Every people have temptations. Everyone. There is no exception. Nobody is immune from them. In passive ways to safeguard temptations, we need to set up a defensive mechanism. We have to understand our own selves when, where, how, what entice us the most. Many people are trapped in temptations of Money, Sex and Power and world popularities that drift us away from God. We have to know ourselves by the help of The Holy Spirit. In active ways to defeat temptations, we have to connect with God and connect with God’s people. Don’t be always staying self alone. It’s dangerous. The Bible says this, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is looking for those who it can devour. You learn the lesson from wild nature Discovery Channel like that lion always devour those prey who stand alone. If we don’t pray to God, we become prey to Satan. If we don’t pray, we have no strength, we have no protection against temptation, we have no spiritual alertness to danger.
First, connect with God. Pray to God for help particularly temptation comes just as a second, pop up in our mind, through our eyes or ears or hearts or whatever. God listens our prayer, even a short urgent pray like when Peter drawn in water “God, help!” SOS is more that “save our ship,” it’s also “save our soul” call. Connect with God, seek for His protection.
Second, connect with God’s people. Join cell groups and fellowships. In fact, we are same kind of people, face similar life tests and trials. We can share with them in a deeper level in group settings. Sometimes God allows some problems beyond our own capability to solve. No matter how hard we try. They are just too big. We need help from others. We need a group of God’s people around us to understand us, accept us, support us, encourage us, love us and pray for us to get through. God wants us to have fellowship by saying this, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, Good News).
Noah fell in temptation because no one around him. Learn the lesson and avoid the same mistake he did. Connect with God and connect with God’s people. May The Lord save us from evil. May The Lord be with you, bless you and your family. Amen.