Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 3rd, 2023 But, What If I Fail? by Justin Mears

Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalms 11 – 15

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46

Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s passage – “It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?;“ “A Token;“  “Too Old To Do Something for the Lord?;” “The Law of First Mention Regarding Wine;“ and “The Dove Flew Away.”

“20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.” (Genesis 9:20-23)

This is a sad ending to the story of Noah. The man who was found faithful in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. The only man who stood for right and fought against the flow of culture. When everyone was cursing God performing their wicked acts, Noah refused. Because of this, God chose him to carry out one of the greatest missions he could ask of anyone. Yet in the end he was drunk and naked for his son to gaze upon. 

God does not just show us the success he shows us the failure. God knew about Noah’s troubles later on and still chose him for the task. Why? Maybe it was show us that future failure does not stop God from allowing us to experience present success. 

Really, this thought makes perfect sense for the new year. What stops us from making New Year’s resolution or starting new things? How many times have we gone on a diet only to fail halfway through it; or said we were going to read the Bible through only to get to Leviticus and get bored and drop it. May I challenge you not to give up or stop trying because of fear of failure? What if Noah knew of his failures before he was asked to do this great thing? What if David knew of his failure with Bathsheba before he faced Goliath? And what if Peter knew of his failure on the rough seas before he ever stepped out of the boat.

God is not calling us because he thinks we are perfect or we are somehow qualified. We are not perfect, but that does not mean that we cannot walk on water for a little bit. He has great plans and we ought to live them out while we can, and when we fall flat on our face, we can get back up and continue running the race. 

“For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:16)