7 Life-Changing Lessons From Noah’s Ark
Today, we’ll revisit the familiar story of Noah’s Ark and see how this biblical narrative applies to our lives. Let’s begin by placing ourselves within the context of these events as we glean practical lessons from the story.
Be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you draw near to God as you spend time in his Word.
Lessons From Noah’s Ark
The week had been unusually busy. First, the baby came down with a fever. Then, the illness spread to the older children.
A weary haze settled over her as she cares for them throughout the days and nights. Meanwhile, the usual tasks of her days remained: grinding grain, preparing meals, drawing water from the well, caring for the animals, and keeping up with the never-ending task of laundry.
She was kneading bread when the first drop fell.
Glancing toward the hazy firmament, she shaded her eyes. A thick curtain of clouds approached from the west.
Perhaps the crazy old man was right after all. He had been building a giant boat for as long as she could remember.
For years, he had been speaking of God’s judgment and warning everyone about a coming flood.
When he first began with his wild warnings, she listened, concerned. But over time, life pressed in. More children were born. The routines of her days consumed her. Noah’s hammer became the background noise of her life.
She considered this as the rain continued to fall, the sky growing darker. Before long, water pooled in the yard as she’d never seen before.
The kids played and bickered and coughed inside the house.
Fear settled in the deepest part of her, a primal shiver telling her this was no ordinary rain.
Through the pattering of raindrops hitting hard earth, she heard it. From the direction of the old man’s giant vessel, she recognized the sound: the closing of a door.
7 Life-Changing Lessons From Noah’s Ark
1. Live with expectation and a prepared heart.
Before we breathe a collective sigh of relief at God’s promise to never again flood the earth, let’s read Jesus’ words: “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).
While we are consumed with our to-do lists, careers, and decisions about what to make for dinner, the day is approaching. It will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.
People will be washing their dishes, buying milk, folding laundry. In an instant, everything will change.
Next week’s plans will be cancelled. The to-do lists will remain unfinished. The dishes will remain soiled in the sink.
Noah’s story reminds us that we, too, need to be prepared for a day that will change history. Jesus will return.
How do we respond to Jesus’ impending return?
We continue working, but we do so with a sense of expectation. As we fold the laundry, make lunch plans, and go to work, we remind ourselves that Jesus will return. We remain alert, eagerly expecting the day when we stand in his presence.
2. Trust God’s step-by-step guidance.
As we consider the lessons we can learn from Noah’s ark, we are reminded that we can trust God’s step-by-step guidance.
God showed Noah what to do, one step at a time. He didn’t give Noah the entire blueprint for how the flood would play out.
Noah built the ark. At the right time, God guided two of each animal onto the boat. When the rain started falling, God closed the door of the ark.
Noah’s role was obedience; God met him in the details, guiding him one step at a time.
We can trust God in this way as well.
We don’t always know how our acts of obedience will work out, but we can trust that God will guide us each step of the way.
3. Obey God, not man.
As onlookers watched Noah build a giant boat, there were scoffers.
Some scholars suggest it had never rained at the time when Noah built the ark. If this was the case, the notion of a global flood would have seemed like a monstrosity.
Despite criticism from others, Noah obeyed God and continued working.
When we face opposition from other people, we can follow Noah’s example and continue faithfully obeying God, not allowing the opinions of other people to deter us.
4. Persevere in God’s work.
It took Noah more than a few years to build the ark. Most scholars suggest this was more than a 5-year building project. They deem that it most likely took Noah between 50 and 120 years to build the ark!
Imagine investing your entire life building something that might never prove useful.
What if the rains never came?
What if the scoffers were right?
We all face “What If” moments when God calls us to follow him. Like Noah, when we persevere in God’s work, he blesses us.
5. Trust God with the impossible.
Noah trusted God with the impossible. He trusted that God would equip him to build the boat. He trusted that the rains would come. When it was time for the animals to board the boat, Noah trusted that God would help him.
After the flood waters began to rise, Noah trusted that he had stored away enough provision to survive. The entire process was an act of trust.
Noah’s story reminds us that God is faithful and trustworthy.
Where do you need to trust God today?
6. God is our protector.
God protected Noah and his family from the flood.
His character has not changed. God protects his children today as well.
Do you need to trust God to protect you in any situations?
7. Jesus is our hope.
Noah held onto hope that the rain would stop and the waters would recede.
When we face the storms of life, Jesus is our hope. He promises to never leave us, helping us through the storms.
Rather than putting our hope in getting to the other side of the storms, he invites us to put our hope in his presence with us in the middle of the storms.
If these lessons from Noah’s ark encouraged you, I invite you to explore our family devotionals and library of free devotionals and eBooks below! May you continue to grow in trust as you follow God in obedience.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 7, 12, and 16, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. I also recently released a teen devotional called Anchored, designed to help teens learn key biblical narratives and apply them to their lives. You can find these books here or read more below. 
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
These Books Are Free on Kindle Unlimited: God Wants to Heal, Restore, and Refresh You
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. He also wants to help you establish a rhythm of meeting with him daily as you trust him with the hard parts of your life. Click here to explore two books that will guide you: Be Still and Trust and Lean Into Grace. They are free on the Kindle Unlimited program and for sale in print.
A Free Devotional to Help You Apply the Old Testament to Your Life Today
Do you want to learn how to read the Old Testament and apply it to the challenges you face in your everyday life? In 30 devotions, my free devotional eBook, Timeless, will help you grow in God’s Word while applying it to your life.
You’ll also learn how the entire Bible points to Jesus as we unpack fascinating symbolism linking the Old Testament to Christ. Download it for free with promo code JESUS here or consider offering a $4.99 donation to support this ministry.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
