The Bible gives us many examples of faith, some so amazing that it’s hard for me to wrap my head around them. One of those was Abraham. When God told Abraham, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you,” Abraham “departed as the Lord had spoken to him” (Genesis 12:1, 4 (NKJV)).

Did you notice that God didn’t tell Abraham where he was going? Instead, God told him that He would show him, meaning God would show him at some later point in time. Yet, Abraham immediately obeyed. He packed up his household and left. Abraham didn’t ask a bunch of questions and drag his heels. He trusted God and did what God told him to do.

Noah is another radical example of faith in God. One day, seemingly out of the blue, God tells Noah that He is going to destroy every living thing on the earth with a flood (Genesis 6:13, 17). And God instructed Noah to build an ark that would hold Noah, his wife, his three sons and their wives, and two of every kind of every living thing (Genesis 6:14-16, 18-19).

Could you imagine? One day, you wake up and start taking care of the things you need to do that day. Then God tells you that He is going to destroy every living thing with a flood.

What would you do if that happened to you? I would likely have questioned God. I would have wanted to know more of the details.

How will the flood happen?

When will it happen?

Will I have plenty of time to build the ark?

Where am I supposed to get all of that wood?

Do I really need to put pitch on the inside and the outside?

Wouldn’t it be sufficient just to put the pitch on the outside?

Would three decks really be enough to hold everything?

But the Bible doesn’t tell us that Noah questioned God. Instead, after God finished telling him how to build the ark, the Bible tells us that Noah did “according to all that God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22 (NKJV)). Noah was obedient to do what God told him to do.

Later, after the ark had been built, God tells Noah to go into the ark with his family because “after seven more days” He would cause it to rain on the earth (Genesis 7:4 (NKJV)) We know that Noah obeyed God because in the very next verse the Bible tells us that “Noah did according to all that the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5 (NKJV)).

What would you do in that situation? I know what I would do. I would ask why I needed to go into the ark when there were still seven more days before the rain was going to start.

But Noah had great faith. He immediately obeyed God. We should also respond with immediate obedience when God tells us to do something. We shouldn’t procrastinate, questioning God, before we finally decide to do what God wants us to do.

What if Noah had waited to go into the ark? What if he thought, “I could wait a few days and still go in five days before the rain starts, that would be plenty of time.” We don’t know what would have happened because the Bible doesn’t tell us.

Maybe something would have prevented Noah and his family from going into the ark if they had waited. Maybe nothing would have happened. Either way, the fact that Noah immediately obeyed God shows us that Noah had faith. He believed God and did what God told him to do because he trusted that God knew the best way to do what needed to be done.

And Noah’s faith pleased God. Noah is named in the revered “Hall of Faith.” The Bible tells us,

By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. (Hebrews 11:7 (NKJV))

Let’s be like Abraham and Noah, trusting God with our lives.

What is God calling you to do? Maybe He’s calling you to serve at your church. Or maybe He’s asked you to pray for or encourage someone.

Maybe you’ve questioned God about what He’s called you to do. You may think you’re not good enough. Or you may be worried how the person would react if you asked to pray for her.

Don’t worry about whether you are good enough or what other people may think. God will equip you to do what He’s called you to do. And we should be more concerned about disobeying God than how other people may respond to us.

When you hear God speaking to you, telling you to do something, step out in faith. Instead of questioning God, be obedient. Do what God has asked you to do. Let your life be a radical demonstration of faith that will encourage others to walk by faith with God.