Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living
on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.
– Genesis 6:9

 
One of the most desired qualities an athlete can possess is to be “coachable.” Coaches love athletes who are eager to learn new skills and at the same time willing to put in the work to master them. These athletes usually bring a great attitude to practice each day and not only do they want to get better themselves, they want those around them to get better too. I’m blessed to have been around many of these kinds of athletes during my coaching career. One young football player however, stands out. Josh was 6’4” having grown over six inches since the previous season. He was working hard to adjust to the changes in his body and really wanted to be a receiver. Before every practice Josh would ask me the same question, “Coach, what can I do to get better?” Whatever his coaches asked him to do, Josh would give his absolute best no questions asked. Never did he want to know why we were running a particular drill or how many reps we were going to do. When practice was over, Josh would always come to me and thank me for making him better.

We find a very “coachable” man named Noah in the book of Genesis. God gave Noah very specific instructions for building the ark. He told Noah to use cypress wood and to waterproof it with tar. Noah was given precise details for construction including the number of decks and the location for each door and window. God told Noah what animals and birds to put on the boat. Noah did everything exactly the way God commanded. He did not ask God a single question. If I put myself in Noah’s place, I can only wonder how I would have responded. Would I have followed God’s instructions in the same way or would I have asked God if we could use pine instead of cypress? Maybe I would have suggested that a window or door be placed in another location. Noah did none of these things. He is the perfect example of an obedient worker and God used him in a most remarkable way.

Lord, help me to be totally obedient to whatever task You call me to. Teach me to leave the “why” and “how” to You alone. Amen.