Day 9 – Obedience Over Obstacles
Following Faithfully Through Fear
However you can engage today, we’re here. Read, listen or both.
The written portion gives an overview, with verses broken down into smaller bites, and journaling/prayer prompts for reflection. In the podcast, Steve Traylor reflects on today’s passage with Scripture reading, a deeper pastoral teaching, and prayer (about 15 minutes). Perfect for morning coffee, commutes, or when your eyes need a rest.
Genesis 6:9–22
Step into this day with quiet resolve.
God has just issued a command that will require everything—decades of labor, enormous resources, and unwavering faith while the world watches and mocks. The world is drowning in violence. Corruption spreads like infection. And God says: “Build a boat.”
Noah’s obedience will be one of the most costly acts of faith in all of Scripture. Not because God asks him to do something morally ambiguous. But because what God asks requires everything—time, resources, reputation, trust—with no visible payoff until the moment arrives.
If you’ve ever felt called to do something that made no sense, that required more than you thought you had, that made you look foolish to everyone around you: this passage is for you.
1. Righteousness and Calling
Genesis 6:9–12
⁹ This is the history of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. ¹⁰ Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. ¹¹ The earth was filled with violence in God’s sight. All flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
¹² God looked at the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
Noah is introduced with a remarkable description: Righteous. Blameless. Walking with God.
Not perfect—the text will later show his weakness. But faithful. Aligned with God’s character and will when everyone around him is corrupt.
God sees this.
And because God sees Noah’s heart, He calls him into something extraordinary.
Notice: God doesn’t call the strongest man. Not the richest. Not the most persuasive or charismatic. He calls the faithful man. The one who walks with Him.
Journaling/Prayer: Are you walking with God, even when it’s unpopular or isolating? What has faithfulness cost you so far? When have you felt like Noah—righteous in a corrupt world?
If you feel alone in your faith, you’re in good company. God has always preserved a remnant of those who walk with Him.
When the weariness of standing alone feels overwhelming, bring that honestly to God—not as grumbling complaint, but as honest lament. The psalmists did this constantly (Psalm 13:1-2, Psalm 142:1-2).
Tell Him: “I’m weary. This is hard. I need Your strength to keep going.”
And hear this: He sees. He’s building something with you that will outlast the corruption around you.
2. Command and Obedience
Genesis 6:13–16
¹³ God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth is filled with violence. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ Make an ark of gopher wood. You shall make rooms in the ark, and shall seal it inside and outside with pitch. ¹⁵ This is how you shall make it. The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the width of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. ¹⁶ You shall make a window in the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit above. You shall set the door of the ark in its side. You shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.
God’s command to Noah is brutally specific. Every dimension. Every material. The complete blueprint.
But here’s something important: Noah’s experience is unusual in Scripture.
Most of the time, God doesn’t give you the entire building plan before you pick up a hammer. Abraham didn’t know where he was going when he left Ur. Moses didn’t know about the 40-year wilderness when God called him to Egypt.
And today, while God no longer speaks through audible voices or direct revelation as He did with Noah (Hebrews 1:1-2), He still guides His people through His Word, the Spirit’s conviction, wise counsel, circumstances, and the inner peace that comes from walking in obedience (Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 3:15). You may not know your whole calling before you begin.
Instead, God typically gives you the next faithful step to take.
God’s guidance typically unfolds as you walk in obedience to what Scripture already makes clear. You obey the command you have—”love your neighbor,” “forgive,” “care for the widow”—and as you step forward in that obedience, the path becomes clearer through Scripture’s wisdom, the Spirit’s conviction, circumstances, and godly counsel.
This is actually more comforting than it seems at first. Because it means you don’t need to see the whole plan to obey the next step.
And Noah obeys without argument. He doesn’t say, “God, this is a three-hundred-cubit boat in a landlocked world. This will take decades. Everyone will mock me.”
(He may have felt all of that. But the text shows us: Noah obeys.)
What Noah teaches us is this: When God speaks through His Word and makes His will clear—whether it’s the whole blueprint or just the next step—obey that much. Don’t wait for clarity about the rest.
The comfort for those called to do hard things isn’t “God will show you everything first.” It’s “God will never leave you without the next instruction if you’re walking with Him and moving forward in faith.”
Journaling/Prayer: What has God called you to do through His Word or clear biblical principles? Do you have the whole picture, or just the next step? When have you obeyed the instruction you had and found that the next instruction came when you needed it?
If you’re paralyzed waiting for complete clarity, tell Him: “I only see one step. Is that enough to begin?”
And if you know what He’s asking for right now—even if it’s just the next step—say: “Help me obey this much. I trust You for what comes next.”
A note: If you’ve been told that discerning God’s will means you have a mental illness, hear this—God does guide His people (Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:5-6). But He guides primarily through Scripture, wise counsel, circumstances, and the Spirit’s work in renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2). His guidance never contradicts His Word and should be tested in community (1 Thessalonians 5:21, Proverbs 15:22). If you’re struggling to discern His will, especially if you have mental health concerns, talk to a wise pastor or counselor. God gave us both His Word and His people for a reason.
3. Steadfast Obedience
Genesis 6:17–22
¹⁷ Behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life from under heaven. Everything that is in the earth shall die. ¹⁸ But I will establish my covenant with you. You shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.
¹⁹ Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. ²⁰ Of the birds after their kind, of the animals after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come to you, to keep them alive. ²¹ Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be to you and to them for food. ²² Noah did this. According to all that God commanded him, so he did.
God promises two things: First, judgment is coming. The flood will be real. The death will be real. Second, Noah will be saved. His family will be saved. Life itself will be preserved.
And then comes the verse that speaks to the strength of Noah’s faith: “Noah did this.”
Not “Noah hesitated and eventually obeyed.” Not “Noah built it halfway and gave up.” Not “Noah built it but doubted.”
Noah did this. According to all that God commanded him, so he did.
Complete obedience. Even though it took years. Even though people mocked him. Even though he had no guarantee except God’s promise.
This is what faith looks like when we strip away sentiment: it is doing what God says to do, exactly as He says it, for as long as it takes.
Journaling/Prayer: What does obedience look like in your life right now? Is there something God is calling you to do through His Word that you’ve been delaying or doubting? What would it mean to obey completely—not halfway, not with conditions, but fully?
If you’ve been half-obedient, tell God: “I’ve been holding back. Help me surrender fully.”
If you’re afraid you’ll fail at what He’s asking, hear this: God calls the faithful and equips them for the task. Noah had no ark-building experience, but he had a walk with God. That faithfulness became his foundation. And as you obey what Scripture clearly calls you to do, God will equip you for faithful obedience (1 Thessalonians 5:24, Philippians 2:13).
Summary
Noah’s obedience is remarkable not because it was easy, but because it was complete despite everything that made it hard.
Violence surrounded him. Mockery faced him. The task seemed impossible. And yet, he built.
God doesn’t call the strong to obedience. He strengthens those He calls.
God doesn’t call the confident to faith. He builds confidence through faithfulness.
And God doesn’t call the many—He calls the faithful one. Then uses that one faithful life to preserve the rest.
You may feel small and insignificant in a corrupt world. But if you’re walking with God and obeying His call, you are part of something redemptive that you cannot yet see.
Action / Attitude for Today
As you move through your day, look for one area where God is calling you to obedience.
It may not be as dramatic as building an ark. But God is asking something of you.
Maybe it’s:
Telling the truth when lying would be easier
Showing up for someone when you’d rather hide
Taking one step toward healing you’ve been avoiding
Speaking what you believe even though others disagree
Letting go of bitterness you’ve been holding
Whatever it is, choose today to obey—not because you see the full picture, but because you trust the One giving the command.
You don’t need to be confident. You don’t need to understand the outcome. You just need to be faithful with the next step.
Noah couldn’t see the rain coming. But he built the boat anyway.
Build your boat. God will bring the rain. And in that flood, He will preserve you.
The Bible for the Broken is published by Aurion Press LLC. © Aurion Press LLC. All rights reserved.