Daily Devo

Genesis 6: Conformed or Transformed?

Genesis 6:8

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Genesis 6:9

These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.

Genesis 6:22

Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Noah is one of the faithful men in the Old Testament. One who has found favor in the eyes of the Lord because his heart seeks to obey God. Despite of the world he is living in during those times, Noah persevered to seek God and walk in His ways. Building an ark just as how the Lord commanded back then would have been something out of this world. Who, in their right minds, would build an ark because the world would be flooded in the coming days?

When God commanded us to do something, we don't usually get it. We don't comprehend the logic behind what He wanted us to do. Oftentimes, we doubt it because it seemed impossible and we just go back to doing what we think would work. But not Noah. He listened and he obeyed. The Lord gave him the instructions and Noah executed them. For sure, as any humans would, there would be days he would struggle into obedience but he pushed through until the end. Noah's faith honored the Lord.

REFLECTION: In what area of your life do you need to stop conforming and start transforming?

An area of my life that needs to stop conforming to the world and start transforming based on God's Word would be my self-entitlement. By nature, I am very selfish and possessive. I like attention, recognition, and maybe fame. I like getting what I deserve especially from services that I engage in. I tend to hold tight to people and have high expectations from them. I get hurt because I tend to shift the focus all to me and how I am poorly treated. Haha. The drama.

Our emotions is a gift from God. We feel things because that's how we are created. However, some of our emotions, if not properly guided, can always lead to seeking only for our own good — not bringing in mind that other people have their own broken stories, too. I knew this in my heart already but lately I had been going back to catering my selfish desires. When our hearts are not right with God, we usually drift off and go back to where we had already been lifted from.

The Lord says that we ought to love God with all our hearts, soul, mind, body, and spirit. And then, we also need to love our neighbors just as ourselves. We ought to look for and serve the need of others greater than ourselves. Jesus demonstrated selflessness. Jesus walked the path of humility. And as He is, so should I. I need to make my heart right with the Lord and seek to obey Him even at times when it's too big of a task or too impossible in my mind.

Being transformed with God's Word will cost us to abandon our selfish ways. It's not easy. But, nothing is too difficult for the Lord.