Valerie Rae Hanneman
Genesis 6:8 “But Noah was different. GOD liked what he saw in Noah.” (NIV)
Genesis 6:14 "Build yourself a ship from teakwood.” (NIV)
Genesis 6:19-21 “You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile--two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you'll need and store it up for you and them." (NIV)
Genesis 6:22 “Noah did everything God commanded him to do” (NIV)
Genesis 7:6 “Noah was 600 years old when the flood waters covered the Earth.”(NIV)
In the fall of 2000 I was filling out the church attendance slip trying to squeeze my e-mail address into that impossibly small area that they gave you for it. I wondered why they had the space for e-mail address anyway. As far as I could tell they never used them. ‘How would you use them?’ a small voice asked in my head. I thought it would be great if somebody in the church would use them in an e-mail ministry. They could send out devotions, prayer lists and announcements. They could use it as an outreach to the farthest reaches of cyber-space. Because I felt that this was a great thing for the church to be doing, I went to Willie and asked him what they did with the e-mail addresses. He responded that they didn’t do anything with them but were hoping to someday. I told Pastor Willie what I thought the church should do with them. Willie thought it was a great idea! An inspired idea! The perfect use for the e-mail addresses! When would I be able to get it started? ‘HUH?’ screamed my mind, ‘I didn’t mean me! I meant someone who was EQUIPPED to do this!’ As Willie and I talked I got the definite impression that Willie figured that because Father had given me the idea, He meant for me to lead it. But that couldn’t be right - I’d never written anything except some “Letters to the Editor” This ministry needed a skilled writer - not a letter writer. Willie told me to pray about it. The next few days ideas for devotionals started popping into my head. But it was a long way from idea to paper. When I actually tried to write something, phrases, funny comments, Bible verses just came to me. I wrote three devotionals and sent them over to Willie along with my acceptance to begin the e-Ministry - if these devotionals were acceptable. They were.
Noah is an unlikely hero. Looking at him you knew that he was not able to accomplish what God was asking him to do. He was an old man - probably around 450 years old. He lived in a desert and had probably never seen a big body of water or a boat. He wasn’t a carpenter or a zookeeper. He had never been rained on. Imagine the conversation......
“Noah” “Yes, LORD?” “I want you to build an ark”“Okay, LORD. What is an ark?” “It’s a really big boat.” “Okay, but what is a boat?” “Here’s the deal, Noah. I am going to destroy every living thing on the earth cause I am sick and tired of the evil that is going on down there. To be honest - I am sorry I ever created mankind. But you are the exception. This boat is going to save you and your family. I am going to make it rain for 40 days and 40 nights and the boat is going to float on top of the water.” “LORD?” “Yes, Noah?” “What is rain?” “You will find out Noah, for now just build the boat - oh and Noah?” “Yes, LORD?” “When the ark is finished, I want you to fill it with two of every living animal and enough food to feed them.” “I will do my best to serve You, LORD” “That’s all I need, Noah, to accomplish great things”
By himself Noah was not able to accomplish the task that God set for him. But what he was able to do was to be available to be used by God, to have faith in God’s leading, to surrender his life. And because he was able, God was able to use him to save humanity and the animals.
God seems to like doing that, doesn’t He? He takes the most unlikely of people - people who do not have the skills and knowledge necessary to accomplish what God intends - and then He uses them to do what He intends.
Moses, another old man in the desert, did not want to go back to Egypt and challenge the most powerful man on the planet. But he did and the children of Israel were lead out of slavery and close to the promised land. Or Joshua and his army marched around Jericho. And on the seventh day, as the soldiers within Jericho mocked them crying out “Here come the ring-around-the-rosie boys!,” the walls fell and Jericho was destroyed. God told Gideon to lead an army against the Midianites. Gideon raised an army of 32,000. God reduced the army to 300. And they defeated thousands upon thousands of Midianites. Or a young boy of fourteen running fearlessly at a seven foot giant warrior in full battle armor. And David defeated Goliath with a slingshot and a stone.
God doesn’t call the best equipped for person for His purposes. And that is kinda weird isn’t it? When I go to the dentist I want a person who has the training and is able to do the work. When my car needs to be fixed, I want the person who has the skills and is able to do the work. But God doesn’t work that way.
My dentist depends on himself to accomplish the dental work. My mechanic depends on himself to accomplish the repairs to my car. They are able- they have the ability to do the work.
None of these people that God used were able to do the work that God asked them to do. They didn’t have the knowledge, they didn’t have the skills, they didn’t have the strength. They didn’t have a chance to succeed. That made them perfect for God’s purposes.
Because they knew that they were not able to accomplish God’s purpose by themselves they knew that only God’s power in their lives would make them succeed. They knew better than to try to take the credit for what was accomplished. And that is why God chose them. In their weakness He was strong. In their inability He showed that He was able.
The e-Ministry is four years old now. It succeeds not because I am able to craft words together, but because God is able to craft words together. It succeeds because I am not able - but He is.
Do you accomplish what you accomplish for God because you are able? Or are you able to accomplish what you accomplish because He is able? Do you have ability or availability?
Father, if this e-ministry depended on my abilities - it would be a garbled mess. I always want to be available to you to be used by You and to show the world that in my weakness You are strong.
Posted by Valerie at May 27, 2005 07:27 AM