每年大约有300万人沿着阿巴拉契亚山道徒步旅行。大约有3000人试图全程走完这条步道——从乔治亚州的施普林格山（Springer Mountain）到缅因州的卡塔丁山（Katahdin Mountain）。但只有大约25%的人能够完成这一目标。实现徒步500万步需要非凡的毅力！
挪亚有毅力。挪亚的故事不是关于行走山道，而是关于建造方舟。如果你曾经建造过什么工程，你就知道完成建造是一个过程，包含了许多步骤。收集材料，测量，切割，装配，调整，连接，精加工。一点一点地，方舟成型了。神命令挪亚在陆地上造一艘巨大的救生船。诺亚花了多年的时间才完成这个看似难以置信、匪夷所思的项目。想像一下，他在邻居的嘲笑声中，日复一日地投入在建造方舟的工作中，究竟需要多大的勇气、决心和毅力啊！
神拣选挪亚不是因为他有毅力，而是因为他有信心。当挪亚接到神的命令去建造方舟时，他并没有犹豫。尽管他可能心里有疑惑，但他还是凭着信心，一步一步地去做，直到方舟完工。
希伯来书11章7节称赞了挪亚积极的信心。面对那些看似荒谬和不可能的事，挪亚选择顺服，与神同行。我们也许不能完成我们努力为神的国所做的每一件事，但如果我们带着信心、以及顺服的心走出去，我们就是在神的能力中与主同行。
主耶稣，求你帮助我们因信靠你而活，在世上有勇气、信心和胆量跟随你、顺服你、服事你。阿们。
创世记 6:9-22
9挪亚的后代记在下面。挪亚是个义人，在当时的世代是个完全人。挪亚与神同行。
10挪亚生了三个儿子，就是闪、含、雅弗。
11世界在神面前败坏，地上满了强暴。
12神观看世界，见是败坏了，凡有血气的人，在地上都败坏了行为。
13神就对挪亚说：“凡有血气的人，他的尽头已经来到我面前，因为地上满了他们的强暴。我要把他们和地一并毁灭。
14你要用歌斐木造一只方舟，分一间一间地造，里外抹上松香。
15方舟的造法乃是这样：要长三百肘，宽五十肘，高三十肘。
16方舟上边要留透光处，高一肘。方舟的门要开在旁边。方舟要分上、中、下三层。
17看哪，我要使洪水泛滥在地上，毁灭天下，凡地上有血肉、有气息的活物，无一不死。
18我却要与你立约，你同你的妻，与儿子、儿妇，都要进入方舟。
19凡有血肉的活物，每样两个，一公一母，你要带进方舟，好在你那里保全生命。
20飞鸟各从其类，牲畜各从其类，地上的昆虫各从其类，每样两个，要到你那里，好保全生命。
21你要拿各样食物积蓄起来，好做你和它们的食物。”
22挪亚就这样行。凡神所吩咐的，他都照样行了。
"Noah did everything just as God commanded him." - Genesis 6:22
About 3 million people hike along the Appalachian Trail each year. About 3,000 people try to walk the entire trail—from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine. But only about 25 percent of those manage to finish. It takes grit to hike 5 million steps!
Noah had grit. Noah’s story isn’t about walking a trail, but about building an ark. And if you’ve ever built anything, you know that it involves many steps in a process. Gathering materials, measuring, cutting, fitting, shaping, joining, finishing. Piece by piece, the ark took shape. God had commanded Noah to build an enormous lifeboat on dry land. It took Noah years to complete what seemed an impossible, ludicrous project. Imagine the courage, resolve, and sheer stamina it took to work on the ark day after day as his neighbors mocked him.
God chose Noah not for his grit but for his faith. When he received God’s command, Noah didn’t hesitate. Though he may have had doubts, he acted in faith, step by step, until the ark was ready.
Hebrews 11:7 commends Noah for his active faith. In the face of what seemed ridiculous and impossible, Noah walked with God. We may not finish every task we try to accomplish for God’s kingdom, but if we step out in faith in obedience to God, we walk with the Lord in his strength.
Lord Jesus, help us to live by faith in you, with courage, confidence, and boldness in following, obeying, and serving you in the world. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
