Noah's Ark
Trusting God, Noah builds an enormous boat and stays safe together with a pair of every kind of animal.
Kind-Hearted Noah
Long ago there lived a kind-hearted man named Noah. Noah loved God and listened to His word. Where he lived, most people did not care much about kindness; but Noah, together with his family, lived an honest, gentle and hard-working life. Every morning when he woke he thanked God, and every evening he counted the good things of that day one by one. Perhaps that is why God trusted him with an important task. When Noah heard how big this task was, he was neither surprised nor afraid; he simply said, “All right, I will do as you say.” There was a deep trust in his heart: even when he did not understand, he knew God was planning something good. One day God told Noah that a very big rain was coming, and asked him to build an enormous boat. You could almost call it a floating house rather than a boat, it was so large.
The Great Boat and the Animals
Noah got to work. He cut the wood, hammered the nails, and worked for days and months. When his neighbors saw him, they were puzzled. “Why are you building a boat on dry ground?” they laughed. But Noah did not stop working, because he trusted God's word.
When the boat was finished, God told Noah to call the animals. And something wonderful happened: the animals came two by two. Elephants with heavy steps, rabbits hopping, birds flapping their wings, ants marching in a line… Lions, giraffes, sheep, doves — all of them went aboard. Noah, his wife, his sons and their families went in too. Then the door gently closed.
The Rain and the Waiting
The rain began. The drops fell slowly at first, then faster and faster. The waters rose, and the boat began to float gently on top. Everyone inside was safe. Noah fed the animals, cared for them, and waited patiently.
Days passed. At last the rain stopped and the sun appeared again. Noah sent out a dove to look for land. The dove came back with a fresh olive leaf in its beak — the good news that dry ground had come out! The boat rested on a safe hill, and the door opened. All the animals ran outside with joy.
The Rainbow Promise
A colorful rainbow appeared in the sky. God told Noah that it was a promise: a promise of love and protection. Noah thanked God.
Sometimes the right thing we are told to do can seem strange to others. But like Noah, if we keep trusting God, we see how He keeps us safe. And every time we see a rainbow, we can remember a beautiful promise that was kept.
Talk about the story
Noah kept trusting God even when others laughed. Who do you trust when something is hard?