Noah's Animal Clinic
Frank Lloyd Wright and Floating Dentures
Genesis 6:13-22; 7:1-16

We all know what was in the ark: the eight members of the Noah family, lots of animals, and food enough for all of the above. Some of the most important details of the amazing refuge from the flood require us to ponder what wasn’t on the S.S. Deluvian. There were no aquariums or cages in the ark, no rudders or door handles on the ark, and no animal pens or docks around the ark.

What’s the big deal?  So Noah forgot a few things—he was six hundred years old when it all happened. He probably forgot to pack his dentures, too.

God gave Noah specific blueprints for the ark. As Noah walked and talked with the Architect, even a poor memory would have been bolstered by God’s reminders. If something missed production, it must have been by Divine purpose.

The Bible doesn’t record, though, that Noah ever asked God, “Hey, um, how am I going to steer this monstrosity?” or “Where am I going to keep the animals until we sail?” or “What’s going to keep the tigers out of the chicken compartment?”  Those are fair questions. I would’ve asked them.

Maybe that’s why Noah’s in the Hall of Faith, and I’ve only got a sister named Faith. Noah didn’t see God’s omissions as oversights or God’s left-outs as liberty. He didn’t try to help God out, to finish what God started. He simply took the next given step and waited for God to show him where to take the next one.

It’s not that Noah couldn’t have made tiger cages or a door handle: the guy made a floating, 100,000-square-foot apartment complex with a retractable roof. Frank Lloyd Wright couldn’t do that. It’s not that he didn’t have the time to tinker with one of the above projects: he had a hundred and twenty years to finish the ark. What’s an extra weekend on the boat every once in a while?

Noah didn’t worry about anything that God didn’t worry about. The fish would survive an upheaval of their ecosystem; the Lord would close the door; the animals would come and stay when and where God told them. Noah didn’t let what he couldn’t do interfere with what he could do for God. He didn’t pout about his assignment like Jonah; he didn’t ask God about somebody else’s job like Peter (John 21:21). Noah took care of his responsibilities only—not Shem’s, not Ham’s, not Japheth’s. He led, encouraged, and demonstrated God’s work.

Both in business and ministry, it’s easy to see our tasks on the brown-grass side of the fence—across from the green grass of more influence, more prominence, or more compensation. It’s easy to question God; it’s easy to look for what’s missing on our ark.

But with ark-sized faith in God, so is obedience.

Word has it . . .
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8.

What’s your ark—your work for God right now?

What things do you question about your ark?

Are you trying to work on someone else’s ark?

Do you want someone else’s ark?

Do you trust God’s will for your life?

© 2003: nonymous, ink.
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture texts are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977.