Genesis 7:1-4 1 The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made. ”
I used to work really well with the pressure of a deadline. I remember being in school and working full time. Assignments would be given and I might have procrastinated a bit… but when the deadline was approaching, it was go time. I would kick into some weird high gear and crank out quality work. It was like a late night superpower or something. I have since lost that power. Deadlines kind of stress me out now.
Noah had a deadline. But his deadline wasn’t the difference between an A and a F on a homework assignment. This was a matter of life or death. God was going to flood the earth in seven days and Noah needed to be ready. His instructions were clear and the Bible says that he followed those instructions. At the end of those seven days, Noah was ready. I imagine he was hanging out on the ark with his family and those animals waiting for the rain to come.
I wonder if things would have been different if Noah wasn’t given the deadline. Like what if God said “I am going to flood the earth someday. When it comes, be ready.” After a few weeks or even years, would Noah have become complacent and forgot about this huge flood thing? Would he procrastinate gathering up the animals? Or would he have woke up every day of his life determined to be ready if today was the day? I just wonder.
Because God has made a promise to us and gave us instructions too. The promise is that Jesus is coming back and the instructions are to be ready. The stakes are high and life and death is at hand. It’s not animals that need to be brought on to the ark, it is people. People who, if not brought on board, will die. If we knew we had seven days, we would be doing everything within our power to get ourselves and others ready. But we don’t. And if we don’t, His return will catch us by surprise.
*What are you doing to be ready?
Abundant Life 
Good word and great point.