NOAH'S BIG BOAT

Why would anyone want to build a boat way out here? Certainly not me! But that is just what God told me to do. "Noah," He said, ( that's me, I'm Noah). "Noah, I want you to build a big boat. I'll tell you how to do it and how big I want it."

"But Lord," I told Him, "there's not enough water around here to use a big boat."

"Don't worry, there will be," He promised. "Now here's how I want you to do it......"

He didn't leave out any small details. He even told me what kind of wood to use. I didn't waste any time getting started.

As I started to build, my neighbors yelled, "Hey, old man Noah. You've already got a house. Why are you building another one?"

"It's not a house, it's a boat. The Lord told me to build it because He's going to destroy the earth by causing a great flood. Every evil thing on the earth will be killed, including you. My family and I will be saved because God said He was pleased with me."

That made them laugh even harder, but that didn't stop me. I kept right on building.

You can't imagine how long it took, but I finally finished. Then God said, "Now, Noah, I want you to take two of every kind of animal into the boat to live while the the flood is on the ground."

"But, Lord," I said, "some animals don't get along with each other very well. If I take two cats and two dogs into the boat, they'll fight like....well, like cats and dogs."

"Don't worry, Noah, I'll take care of it," God assured me.

"And Lord, you know some animals don't smell very good. You want me to take two skunks into the boat, too?" I questioned.

"Don't worry, Noah, I'll take care of it," He promised.

He had no sooner said that, when all the animals He promised started to come. God caused all kinds of animals to get into the boat. BIG animals, like the elephants and giraffes, and little animals, like the mice and chipmunks.

I had already loaded all the food I thought they would need. Can you imagine all the food that floating zoo would need? And the smell! WHEW!!! But I knew I had done everything just as God had told me.

Just as soon as my family was safely on the boat -- God told me to take my wife, our three sons, and their wives -- God shut the door, and it started to rain. It had never rained that hard before. It rained so hard and so fast, that it wasn't long before I felt the boat start to float. Forty days and forty nights it rained like that.

Then, all of a sudden, it was very quiet. Listen! It had stopped raining! I knew that even though it had stopped raining, the ground was still covered with water. I waited several months then sent a bird out the one window. He flew around, but couldn't find a tree to land on. That told me that the water still covered everything.

I waited seven days, and sent him out again. This time he came back with a branch of an olive tree in his mouth, so I knew the water had started to go down. After seven more days I sent him out again. This time, he didn't come back. I knew the water had all gone down, but the ground would still be very wet and muddy. After seven more days, I opened the door. Oh, the fresh air smelled sooooo good, and everything was so very clean and new-looking. My family, and the animals too, were happy that now we could leave the boat. God had kept us safe from the flood, just as He said He would.

After we were all off the boat, the first thing I did was to build an alter, and offer a sacrifice of thanks and praise to God.

God said, "Noah, look up into the sky." There, in the bright sunlight, was the most beautiful bow I had ever seen, a 'rainbow'. God said, "Noah, this is my promise to you. Whenever you see my bow in the sky, it will remind you that I will never again send a flood that will destroy the whole world."