Today I was in Jonah; can you tell that I've been in the Old Testament most of the summer? Jonah is a short book, only 4 chapters, but let me tell you Girlfriends, it packs a punch!
Do you and I act/react the same as Jonah? Jonah right off the bat was told by God to go to Nineveh. What did Jonah do? He ran away from God. He went to Tarshish, that doesn't sound like Nineveh to me, does it you? He ran away from God. The word of the LORD came to Jonah, and he ran away.
Do you and I run away from God also, when He speaks a word to us? We run, but you know what, we are like Jonah in the fact that we can't hide!
The LORD sent a storm that affected not only Jonah, but the others that were on the seas were affected also by Jonah's decision. WOW, this hit me afresh this morning, because when we run from God, who else are we causing to be affected by that very decision?
I also was pondering and wrote a sticky note to be plastered in Jonah..What is it that is causing me to flee? Perhaps not wanting to face someone, perhaps sin, perhaps consequences from a previous decision, or even..what You are asking me Lord is just plain hard!
Jonah announced when confronted by the sailors "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." Vs 9 of Chapter 1. He wasn't afraid to tell them that the God of heaven is his God. Yet, he was fearful of going to Nineveh.
We all know that Jonah was thrown into the sea to calm the waters for all the others, and that God caused a fish to swallow him. God caused this to happen, I think, to get Jonah all alone to be able to see that what God was asking is where he needed to be. In his prayer he recognized that it was God who brought his life up from the pit. *Jonah 2:6b* Do you and I realize that it will be God that brings our lives up from the pit?
God then speaks to Jonah a second time to go to Nineveh proclaiming God's message given to him. I wonder, what has the Lord provided for you and me, to get our attention? That when He speaks, we listen and walk in the direction He asks of us. Sisters, remember that we can run, but we can not hide from the God of heaven who made the sea and land.
Father, Thank You that Your word speaks to our hearts and is relevant for this very day. Cause us Lord to let go of our fears and walk the path You have for us. To allow Your LONG OUT STRETCHED ARM to lift us up and out of our pits. Father, You are compassionate, abounding in love and my Maker. Thank You Abba, In Christ's Saving Name, Amen.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
13 comments:
Awesome thoughts today! How many times have I not cooperated with God and that decision affected not only me, but so many others around me.
why do I run in the opposite direction when God is trying to get me going in the right direction? for I know he only wants the best for me but for some reason i think i know better, ha!
then i remember it's not about me, i need to be stepping out of my comfort zone to help someone else understand his Word so they, too, can be led by his nudgings!
thank you for reminding me of Jonah...and that stinky fish that spit him out! sometimes I'm just that stinky... : )
come visit when you can...
Oh you are so glowing with the glory of your Father, Girlfriend!
When you speak HIS word, it is not always an easy word, but unlike Jonah, you speak it the first time!
I remember Beth teaching about Jonah and saying something to the effect of, "there he's standing with seaweed wrapped all around him and mad enough to die in Ninevah finally". The word picture is hilarious!
You know alot of times, like Jonah, we don't want to do what the Father commands because it means letting go of our anger and forgiving as the Father does.
Jonah was mad because HE knew HIS GOD that sent HIM to preach to that wicked city would forgive them if they repented - and he flat didn't want that! He wanted them to get what was coming to them.
I have wrestled with those thoughts myself before - you know I have. In between, "Oh LORD, forgive them and let them be drawn to you"....to..."well, if so and so happened, they would be punished and they deserve it, big time...get them GOD"...
Shudder that the people we have hurt would say that over our lives and GOD would have actually done it!
I love you bunches and you are a big blessing!!
Teri <><
You always make me think, Yolanda. I'm here considering what I'm running from. It's a deep well! And...I don't think I've considered how it is affecting others! Wow. I'm deep in the belly of the fish right now, my friend. I may have to stay here a while...
After a long life of living with fish, I much prefer the smell of obedience, even when its hard.
peace~elaine
Oh how true it is that we can run but can't hide from the Almighty One! Comforting too.
Love ya,
Lelia
Ooh good point! I'd never thought about this story from the viewpoint that our actions affect others. Have a great day!
Been in that pit...been lifted out of it...still listening and still trying to heed to His voice.
It's just not worht running is it? My prayer is that I am not longer running and I think this new blog Bible study (Behind Those Eyes) will let me know if I am living in untruth. Dare I be too stubborn to admit it..like Jonah?
As always, you are a blessing!
In His Graces~Pamela
Thanks for the awesome insightful post. My running does not only effect me but others as well. It's funny that you would post this because I have been praying to God about not wanting to face some things He has placed before me. I guess you could say that I have been behaving like Jonah. Then the message at church yesterday was a confirmation entitled "Running In The Wrong Direction". But just as in the account of jonah's experience as it is in real life - we ARE going to do what God has told us to do whether we obey the first time or have to find ourselves in some pits along the way as a result of our disobiedience. Ultimately, God's perfect will will be done.
Blessings!
Hey, Yolanda! Great post! Sometimes, I don't think that we realize that we are running away from God. We crowd Him out with "stuff".We don't make time for Him. He sees us and tries to woo us back. Hopefully, we hear His quiet voice and stop the running away and begin running towards Him.
Love ya,
Susan
Wonderful Word! We can not be reminded too often that, for those of us whose hearts truly want to obey God, when He wants us to go somewhere or do something, He is big enough to come after us.
Now that is good news!
Thank you!
Pat
This is my first time visiting your blog...I see your posts on Teri's so often and have seen that you are wise. But this morning when I checked to see if Teri had updated...I saw the title of your most recent.
I have trouble with God speaking to me...for the most part I don't listen...then there are those times that I do, and let the devil convience me to doubt. So any thing to lead me to see what I need to hear and how I need to hear and to help me to grow in my relationship with the Lord. So I appriciate your obediance and posting what you did. You never know who you are going to reach, who you are going to touch, nor do we know who is watching us...that is why we need to be able to hear God, listen, and to LEARN to OBEY his word.
Hope everything is going Ok--haven't heard from you in a while!!
Sweet blessings,
Susan
Post a Comment