I've taken off a couple weeks from Persuaded Life stuff to be with my family, but I assure you, I haven't taken off time either from my time with God or from keeping up with what's going on in the world and our part in it. It's good to be back with you.

Lately, I've been thinking about the old adage, "So much to do, so little time." Somehow I think it should also say, "So much to do, so little direction about what to do."

All of us are personally facing much to do. Time is a challenge, as our lives are filled with busy schedules and commitments. Little remains for getting involved and making a difference in the world around us. However, I honestly think that a failure about knowing what to do is an even bigger deterent to our contributions than even time itself. From housework to homework to volunteer work to vocational work, when our tasks are clearly defined, we can go straight to them and accomplish much in mere moments. But when our jobs are not so explicit and we're not sure what we're supposed to do, we tend to waste and fritter away the time we do have for accomplishing something of significance. We see the needs, we don't know what to do about them, and frustration results.

Take a look at Hebrews 11, often called the "Faith Hall of Fame," where Scripture praises many from the Old Testament who did accomplish great things amidst great needs. These men and women believed in God and served Him even when sending His Messiah Son remained only a promise (11:39).

I have to be blunt. It's not the faith part of this chapter that challenges me. I find it easier than many to believe God in impossible circumstances. I don't have trouble trusting that He is in charge and that He will come through. What does stump me is how these great men and women of faith seem to have their tasks clearly laid out for them. Whether Abel, Enoch, or Rahab, Abraham, Jacob, or Sarah, though they weren't privy to the eventual outcomes of their efforts, they all seemed to know ahead of time what they should do, and they did it.

Take Noah, for example. About him we read, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household. . . " (11:7). If you go back and read Noah's story in Genesis 6-7, you see how specifically God lay out his assignment. What to build. How big to make it. Which materials to use. Who to use to fill it. I find myself thinking, Well, I would be faithful, too, if God would send me an e-mail about the ark I was to build!

But then I take a closer look at Noah's story. The earth was corrupt and filled with violence (Gen. 6:11). So what happened? "God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah. . ." (6:12).

Why Noah? Because a couple of verses before we see that "Noah walked with God" (v. 9). There was a need, and God Himself matched that need with one of His children who walked consisently and closely with Him. The day before "God said to Noah," Noah was still pretty clueless about what his part should be in such an evil time. But because Noah walked with God, he heard and received the command. He didn't know the 20th step, only steps one and two toward obedience, and he pushed up his sleeves and got busy. "Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did" (6:22). And he kept doing when lots of time went by and much ridicule occurred and many people refused to believe this flood-coming stuff when they'd never even seen rain.

In my life, I've never seen a time when there's so much to do, so much need around us. Our political situation, our tanking economy, and our disappearing values--in addition to desperate personal needs everywhere. The problems are real and apparent and abundant, but the solutions appear veiled--at least the believer's part in them. What do we do to help? What do we do to make a difference? What's our role for here and now?

I believe that rather than getting frustrated or losing hope, we keep doing what Noah did, we walk with God and keep on walking. He sees from His throne on high the evil that surrounds us and the challeges that confront us. And He's the One who still looks down on all these conditions and becomes the ultimate Head-Hunter as He matches the need with those "walking with God."

As we walk, we will surely hear His voice when he makes our individual ark assignments. We needn't look at other's arks who seem to be more important. After all, we're not "ark-rivals" or "ark-enemies!" We're fellow laborers in the kingdom. If we each stay close to God, hear our assignments, push up our sleeves and do our individual parts, we'll accomplish great things in our world that is also corrupt and filled with violence.

Today, I'm rethinking the ark thing. Ours is not to envy the clarity of Noah's assignment but the closeness of his walk with God. That's what we're to emulate. The ultimate walk. The walk that will do us a world of good. If we do that, when our time comes, we, too, will know what we're supposed to do.

And that's when you and I can join the others in God's faith hall of fame!