And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. Genesis 9:18-19 KJV
I have often wondered how Noah felt as he warned the people of his day for 120 years without any noticeable results other than their mocking and insults. Even by today’s evangelical standard Noah would seem to have been a failure. After all, what preacher would you support without a single convert after so much time? But Noah was not a failure; eight entered the Ark and were saved: his wife, three sons, and their wives. Noah reached his family! Too often we want to save the world, but in our attempt we lose our family. To save the world at the expense of our family is a losing cause. By the grace of God, Noah reached his family and as a result saved the world. That is a winning cause!
Lord, if only this lesson would burn deeply in our hearts. Your plan for the world was fulfilled with the salvation of one family. Today we seem to be sacrificing our families for the world. Turn our hearts back to our families for it is only in their salvation can the world be saved.
