Redemption amid Ruin

Obedience When It Makes No Sense

In Noah’s day, the world spiralled into violence and wickedness. People lived as if God did not exist. Yet, in the midst of that chaos, one man chose to listen: Noah.

God gave him an astonishing command: to build a massive ark, large enough to shelter his family and every kind of animal. There were no storm clouds, no looming rain, only God’s word. People probably laughed and called him foolish. Yet Noah kept building, plank by plank, nail by nail, not because he understood the whole plan, but because he trusted the One who called him.

Noah’s story reminds us that obedience often requires stepping forward when nothing makes sense, trusting God even when the world calls us crazy, even when the path is invisible.

We see the same quiet courage in the life of Hudson Taylor. He left the familiar comfort of England to bring the Gospel to China. Many thought him reckless, destined for failure. Yet his faith did not rest in a single bold act; it grew through daily choices, a steady trust in God that shaped every decision, every journey, every risk. Through it, countless lives changed.

We are also invited to take such faithful steps. Obedience does not demand that we see the full path. It asks us to take the next step and trust God with the rest.

I experienced this in a season of waiting and uncertainty. After moving to Hong Kong, I searched for a job, only to watch the world slow to a standstill as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Doors seemed closed. Timelines stalled. The path ahead felt uncertain, almost impossible.

Yet during that quiet season, God planted a new interest within me: robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and the Internet of Things. I longed to work as a project manager in one of these fields, but the path felt impossible. Two years passed, full of learning, patience, and quiet trust. Then God opened a door: a role that combined robotics, AI, Data Science, and IoT in one. Every small step of trust, every moment of perseverance, positioned me for that opportunity.

Like Noah, we may be asked to build “arks” where no rain has ever fallen. Others may not understand. They may mock or question. But God sees the bigger picture. He honours the faithful steps we take, even when they feel small, unseen, or impossible.

Obedience often grows quietly. It develops in the daily choices we make, in trust we cultivate step by step, in small acts of courage that the world never notices. Yet these small, faithful steps shape us, prepare us, and allow God’s purposes to unfold.

Step by step, plank by plank, God proves faithful. Step by step, we learn that the path may be uncertain, but the One who calls us never leaves us.

Reflection Question:

Is there something God is asking you to trust Him with right now, even if it feels risky or doesn’t make sense?

Prayer:

Lord, give me courage to obey You even when I don’t understand. Help me trust that You see the future I cannot. Amen.