There had been a very bad storm lasting several days along the east coast of the United States. Nearly two feet of snow came down, driven by 75 mile-per-hour winds. Over 3,000,000 people had lost their electricity, and more serious, over 100 had lost their lives. Now the storm was over and the Sunday school teacher was asking the children, “How many people would have to lose their lives in a storm for you to think it was a REALLY bad storm?”
Joseph answered, “Just one person.”
The teacher agreed that it would be very serious for even one person to die and go into eternity, especially if he did not know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.
Joel’s answer was “200 people.”
The teacher agreed with Joel’s answer too and said, “That would really be serious, if 200 people had died on account of a storm.” He went on, “But what if a storm came that killed so many that only 8 people were left alive in the whole world! Can you imagine a storm that bad? What do you think I’d be thinking about if there was a storm that bad?”
“You’d be glad it wasn’t you who died in it,” Mike said.
“Do you think there ever has been a storm that bad?” the teacher asked. None of the children answered, so he said, “Let’s read about it in our Bibles in Genesis 6:13,1413And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (Genesis 6:13‑14). ‘And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood.’ ”
The Sunday school teacher explained that God Himself was going to send that storm to destroy all those people because they had been wicked. But God was going to save Noah out of that storm because he had obeyed God. Noah believed what God told him about the storm that was coming, and he started right away to do as God told him. He built the ark 75 feet high (that’s 3 stories high, which is higher than lots of trees). God also instructed him to build it 45 feet wide and 450 feet long (that’s as long as 1-1/2 football fields).
Up until that time it had never rained. God watered the ground with a mist from the earth. But Noah never stopped to ask how God was going to make the ark float away from the dry land where he was building it. And he never asked God how he was going to find all those animals and get them to go into the ark. He simply trusted God and went ahead with what God told him to do.
When the storm came, Noah and his family were ready for it. They were safely inside the ark along with all the animals. Then God sent heavy rain from the skies and water came up out of the earth. For 40 days and 40 nights water poured out, until even the highest mountains were completely covered. But everything inside the ark was safe, because Noah had obeyed God and was ready.
After the flood and its destruction were over, God gave the rainbow to remind us of His promise that the earth will never be destroyed by water again. But many people living in the world now are again violent and wicked. God tells us in the Bible that it won’t be long until He finds it necessary to destroy everything that lives on the earth once again. This time it will be with fire. In 2 Peter 3:1010But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10) we read that “the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” Then God asks each of us a question in verse 11. “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?” Are you ready like Noah was? Trust in the Lord Jesus who loves you and died for you, and you will be safe in heaven when God’s judgment comes on this world. “Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Proverbs 29:2525The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. (Proverbs 29:25).
ML-12/26/1993