The neighbours must have thought him stupid... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2026

God said to Noah, The end of all flesh has come before me. Make yourself an ark of gopher­wood.
Genesis 6:13.14

The neighbours must have thought him stupid: a man building a vessel to float when there was no sea anywhere near! They surely asked him, "What are you doing that for, Noah? What is the use of building a ship here?" He will have answered, "Judgment is coming. There will be a great flood. This ship is the place of refuge to stay alive."

Nothing similar had ever been built, and the criticism was harsh. But that didn't trouble Noah: he had received the plan for its structure from God Himself. With every hammer blow for every nail he preached the coming judgment of mankind.

He continued building day after day, year after year, for 120 years. How people must have shaken their heads at such remarkable faith! 120 years' work, and still no flood in sight anywhere: all that effort for nothing! How naïve could Noah be!

For all his preaching we do not read of anyone heeding his warning. But when the ark was finished, God spoke: "After seven days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy all living things" (ch. 7, v. 4). God had exercised patience for over a century; then came the flood and judgment.

God still wishes to save people today. But they must come to Him now. There is no guarantee that he will prolong His grace over years or just days to come. People should be sensible enough to "enter the ark" to escape God's judgment. That means accepting the salvation that Jesus Christ offers without delay.

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 6:22-42 · 2 Timothy 3:1-9