There are naturally questions that come up in our mind as we read this narrative. For instance, one of them, found in 7:16, has to do with the fact that after Noah, his family, and the animals were aboard the ark, God shut them in.

We don’t quite know how God performed this divine act closing and sealing the ark’s door; however, understanding why, not how, is more important. This was God’s way of affirming that salvation truly belongs to Him. Noah may have built the vessel, but with an open door, it would not have weathered the storm and preserved his life and the lives of all the others onboard. Noah was saved not by his effort, but by a gracious act of God – as we are through Christ.

• Where have you seen God’s grace and goodness to you in your life lately?