Genesis 6:22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

 

For the past few days we have been discussing the fact that God wants us to listen and obey Him and not seek the approval of man. This is extremely important is we are to live our lives pleasing to God.

 

In the 6th Chapter Book of Genesis, we find the story of Noah and the Ark. Noah was a good man and he walked with God. He heard the Voice of God and he lived a life of obedience to His Voice. God told Noah to do something that made absolutely no sense to anyone else. God commanded Noah to build an ark.

 

Please consider the fact that it had never rained before. Prior to this time, water came up out of the ground and watered all the plants. Never had water fallen from the sky so, I can imagine what the people thought when Noah told them that God told him to build an ark because it was going to rain and flood the earth. I’m sure they all told him that he was crazy.

 

But Noah heard what the Lord had said and he discounted the thoughts and words of man and he obeyed God. It took him 120 years, but Noah built the ark exactly as God had given him the plans and instructions.

 

I have to tell you that many times over the past 19 years, I have felt like Noah. When God told me to build a retreat facility here in Caney, everyone told me I was crazy. However, I KNOW WHAT GOD SAID, and no one could convince me otherwise. I went ahead with the Plan and developed the Retreat Facility here just as God told me to.

 

I didn’t know how to promote the Retreat Facility but I quickly discovered that I didn’t have to promote it. That was God’s job and He did it! People called me out of the blue asking about it and how they could come. Before long, the calendar was filled with reservations for retreats and I didn’t have to do anything except what God told me to do.

 

Over and over again He would speak to my spirit and say, “Create an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit can work in the lives of the people who come.” God did not give me specific plans for the buildings (although I have a testimony about that). His concern was all about the atmosphere where the Holy Spirit could work to change people. This is what we have strived to do for the past 14 years and thousands of lives have been touched and changed.

 

Like Noah, the people (even religious people) thought I was crazy but God had a plan. I am by no means comparing God’s Plan for me to His Plan for Noah, but in a sense it is very similar. There is more to this story and I will continue it tomorrow. For today, please seek the Plan of God for your life. Put the advice of others out of your mind and seek ONLY the Voice of God. He will speak to you and He will reveal His Plan to you. He will also give you specific instructions and guidelines when you take that all-important step in faith and move forward no matter what other people say.

 

 

That first step is the hardest. Take it and watch God.….….turn the tide ……….in your life.

 

Step by step,         Doreen

 

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