It's All about the Change

INTRO I AM A SINNER

Often times it takes us getting to our lowest point before we are ready to reach out and claim the love of Christ for ourselves. As long as we walk in the world, as part of the world, and maintain standards acceptable to the world - we are happy. Happiness by the world’s standards includes the material things that keep us in step with our neighbors - a nice house, new car, beautiful clothing, money to buy anything that we might want. Or a credit card to satisfy our immediate wants and cravings. Our society tells us that we can have anything we want and expect that it is our due. But the Word of God says that our needs will be met. There is a huge difference in these two statements. The first puts pressure on us to conform to the standards of the world and the second offers the promise of peace in having our needs met.

God intended from the beginning to provide our every need, this is obvious from the creation story found in Genesis through the promises revealed in Revelations. A beautiful picture of God’s Plan is revealed for each of us, if we take the time to seek His divine guidance through His Word. We can choose to accept His Plan or we can choose to devise our own plan - He gave us that right. Let’s take a look at how different our lives could be if only we would receive.

The story of Noah is a good place to find a measuring stick for recognizing the purpose of God’s Plan being followed and the consequences of rejecting God’s Plan. The world was in a very depraved condition when God came to Noah and laid out His Plan to save Noah’s family. Noah was a man righteous in the sight of God, he loved God and was obedient to God’s Plan for his life. In a world where anything goes, Noah took the time to seek God’s plan. God told Noah that He was going to destroy the earth and everything in it, but He provided a promise of salvation to Noah if He would do as He said. God told Noah to build an ARK because he was going to bring a great rain upon the earth and destroy everything because of how wicked the world had become. Now mind you, it had never rained at this time and Noah had no clue what rain or an Ark might be. But God, gave Noah very specific instructions as to how to build the Ark and who he could bring with him when the time came. Now can’t you just see Noah’s neighbors - ridiculing him, calling him crazy, making him feel like he was the one about to perish. Our world today is very similar to Noah’s world - telling Christians that the way to pleasure is more important and easier than the path to obedience. Where did Noah get his strength to endure his persecution? How do we grasp that same strength to be obedient today? Review Genesis 6:1 - 9:17 to see how God spoke to Noah and encouraged him and sustained him. The same God is there to speak to us today, to save us from our sins, to place us on the path of righteousness, to give us strength to endure when all around us the world is closing in. Sin will consume your very essence without the power of God being allowed to dwell in your soul. The way to this precious power is very simple; the discipline to follow the path is your choice.

As you begin this study, make sure you have your Bible near you so that you can read the Scriptures which are not included in the text. You may use any version that you are most comfortable with.