Unsinkable Hope: God’s Promises and Your Mental HealthSample

We've all got some Noah in us.

My wife and I are huge movie buffs, especially superhero ones. Many superhero movies in recent years have included a short scene during or after the credits that gives you greater insight into their story or hints at what's coming next.

The Bible offers us a sobering “post-credit scene” with Noah in Genesis 9:20-23. After surviving the flood, following God faithfully, and starting fresh on dry land, Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and passes out naked in his tent.

The final picture of Noah's life is not a great scene, and his kids don't handle it well either. One son mocks him, while the others respectfully cover their father's nakedness. Noah later curses the son who disrespected him and blesses the other.

This ending reminds us of a few essential truths:

• Everyone's broken.
• Everyone's vulnerable.
• Everyone's sinful.
• Everyone can fall, including Noah, you, and me.

When we read the Bible, there's a temptation to put famous characters like Abraham, Moses, or David on a pedestal. We want them to be larger than life. But this final scene of Noah's life shatters that illusion.

Noah is listed in Hebrews 11 within the "Hall of Fame of Faith" alongside many others celebrated for their faith. Yet, Noah doesn't finish well. He stumbled in the end. It's a sobering reminder that you can navigate a storm well, trusting and following God throughout, and then stumble when it's over.

After studying the story of Noah and learning a ton from my friend Robyn’s book, I want to leave you with a simple truth: Noah isn't the hero of the story. God is.

We should learn from Noah and apply principles from his experience to our own. But Noah isn't the hero we should emulate. Noah didn't live a sinless and perfect life, go through everything he experienced, die on the cross for our sins, and come back from the dead. Jesus did!

Noah isn't our savior. Jesus is! And in Noah's story, God is the hero because He is the one who provides, protects, and preserves Noah and his family through the flood. The hero of the flood story is God, and our hope is in Him.

There's good news in Noah's post-credit scene, though. Even in his failure, God's faithfulness remains. God doesn't revoke His covenant when Noah sins. His promises still stand. That's the beauty of the gospel — it acknowledges our brokenness and points us to the God who loves us through it all. Even if the adversity we face is the product of our destructive decisions, we serve a God who wastes nothing and works all things together for the good of those who love Him.

The next time adversity strikes in your life, remember: prosperity isn't guaranteed, but God's presence is. Your hope isn't in your ability to weather the storm perfectly, but in the God who remains faithful even when you falter. And when you stumble (not if, but when), God's grace is still there, just as it was for Noah.

Don’t forget: When suffering inevitably comes, as it has for everyone who follows Jesus, God offers unsinkable hope to carry you through it. Don't give up - keep trusting His promises and depending on His grace.

Prayer

God, thank You for showing me the whole story of those who followed You. I'm grateful that You included Noah's stumbles in Scripture because they remind me that Your grace is greater than my weakness. When I fall, remind me that You're still faithful. When others fall, help me respond with grace. You, Lord, are my ultimate example, and You are the true hero of every story I read in the Bible. Amen.

NEXT STEPS:

Now that you've completed this devotional journey through "Unsinkable Hope," I’d love to help you continue to navigate life’s storms. Click here for complimentary access to my free guide, Preparing for and Navigating Life’s Storms.