Even or Uneven?

Show me what you want me to do. You are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me over level ground. (Psalm 143:10)

Sometimes we want level ground pathways in life, but they just don't seem to come. We find ourselves in all manner of 'uneven' paths, trying us from every angle spiritually, emotionally, financially, and even physically. They aren't meant to stop our forward progress with Jesus, but they certainly put a 'kink' in it at times! It is never a bad prayer to ask God to show us to that level ground in life. In fact, he'd relish the opportunity to take you from the 'unevenness' of life's challenges into the 'evenness' of his peace, presence, and purpose.

You might find yourself there right now - facing challenges that you'd never thought you'd have to face. The more 'uneven' the path right now, the more you can count on God helping you navigate to 'even' ground once again. It might not seem like it, but that brutally hard path can open up into a beautifully wide 'path of purpose'. The purpose may not be evident at first, but the more we trust him to move us from one path to another, the more we will begin to see his purpose revealed. The 'passage' from one to the other may not go as fast as we'd like, but we cannot rush the things God has designed to show us things about ourselves or others that we may not have discovered any other way.

Two things we need to keep in mind when life's paths become a bit 'uneven': 1) He is still our God, and 2) His Spirit has not abandoned us to walk this path alone. God wants us to know what to do WITHIN the uneven path - how to walk safely through it, what he wants to reveal to us through it, and where it is we will step out of it onto that even path once again. I have never really walked a totally 'even' path in my life. Even the sidewalks around my home have rises and tripping hazards! The evenest path may not always stay 'even'! Sometimes we just need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to show us where to step in order to avoid the 'hazards'. 

Let your GOOD Spirit guide us, Lord. This is always a good prayer to open each day. Perhaps if we prayed this prayer a bit more often, we might just find the pathway we are traveling a bit easier to traverse. One thing is for certain - our own choices might take us over some 'uneven paths', but it may just be that God's GOOD Spirit is about to break us out of that 'unevenness' and into a the wide-open path of obedience. Just sayin!

It is a secret!

That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory. So we continue to tell people about Christ. We use all wisdom to counsel every person and teach every person. We are trying to bring everyone before God as people who have grown to be spiritually mature in Christ. (Colossians 1:27-28)

The secret truth - as a kid, a secret told to you meant someone trusted you to be able to handle that truth and not blab it to the entire world. The secret of Christ living within us is not one that needs to be kept - it is meant to be shared. It won't bring freedom for those who come to know it, so sharing it is the goal! Tell people about Christ - by the way you live. Tell them about Christ by the way you speak. Tell people about Christ by exhibiting wisdom beyond your own when the moment requires God's wisdom to be brought to light. The secret isn't hidden - it is revealed in us, through us.

Use the wisdom God has given you - to counsel and teach others. This might seem like a job for the professionals, but you can trust me on this one - you and I have something to share that others need to hear. God reveals himself to us in unique ways that help us each to come to know and understand him just a bit better each day. Use those things to minister into the lives of others so they can grow just a bit closer to him, as well. We aren't 'professionals' seeking to make everyone's life perfect - we are just ordinary people, figuring out how to live life with Christ each day, experiencing more and more of his grace.

The one who has Christ in him is indeed a blessed individual, but God never designed for that blessing to be for us alone! His plan is for us to become a blessing to others - to share the truth of the gospel and to bring the hope to others of being forgiven of their sins, free from their hurts and hang-ups, and able to share the hope that resides in them when they finally give their hearts to Jesus. This is the 'secret' that is meant to be shared - so share on! You never know when the one who hears about that 'secret' hope that lives within you will seek that same hope. Just sayin!

Love God?

Jesus answered, “All who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them. My Father and I will come to them and live with them." (John 14:23)

Love Jesus? Then we will obey ALL of his teachings. Love Jesus? Then we can be assured of his heavenly Father's love for us, as well. Love Jesus? He dwells within you and is ever-present with you through all of life's journeys. We probably live somewhere between totally believing these things and 'kinda' believing them (in a selective way). The more 'selective' we are in believing these truths, the more we will struggle with understanding and living within God's love.

God isn't selective in who he loves. He loves the whole world - even those who don't know him yet. He provides for their salvation - even though they don't realize they need it. He pursues them with his intense love - even though they have no idea they are 'under pursuit'. If God isn't 'selective' in his love, then how can we 'discount' his love toward us? We cannot! His love embraces us - his Son's shed blood redeems us. The more we trust those words, the more we draw near to his heart. 

Love leads to obedience - not begrudgingly because we feel 'we have to' be obedient, but as an act of demonstrated love toward him. Love is best demonstrated - just as God demonstrated it to the world by sending Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for mankind's sins. We demonstrate our love for God in our actions of willing obedience. Is it always easy to take these actions? Sometimes it is, but there are times when an act of obedience might conflict a bit with our pride or 'heart desire'. When that happens, we might just struggle with those steps of obedience God asks of us. Does this surprise him? No, because he is using that request for obedience as a way of showing us where we are still holding onto something he wants us to let go of!

When God asks us to let go of something that is a 'heart desire' or a matter of our own selfish pride, is he being unjust? Not at all. He is being a loving father that looks out for the best interests of his child. There is question he loves us immensely - there should also be no question he knows exactly what we need to become the best we can be! Just sayin!

Pushing back

“All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

What does it mean to live in the 'authority' of Christ? It is both the ability to use God's power and the 'permission' to use it. We might believe we are given permission to use his power, but we might feel very 'unable' to do so. This is nothing but a lie from the pits of hell, my friends! We are given both - the ability and the 'authority' or 'permission' to tap into, live within, and use his power. To live 'powerless' lives is never the will of the Father - his will is for us to have ALL authority.

Did Jesus encounter times, places, and people who questioned his authority? Absolutely! Demons didn't want to submit to his authority, but a bunch of pig farmers lost their entire herd to one command to 'come out'! Sickness, crippling disease, and all manner of 'uncleanness' might have left many as outcasts from society for a long, long time, but none of these stood a chance when they encountered his authority! Insecure religious leaders who thought they had 'arrived' in the realm of their knowledge and power were left dumbfounded when he spoke with the power and authority of the Father who sent him. 

We oftentimes 'operate' far below our potential as children of God, choosing a 'powerless' position in the face of our enemy's opposition. When we do, he wins! The power and authority of God Almighty resides within each of us - his presence is always with us - even when we might not feel or 'sense' it. God doesn't abandon his children - he commissions them, gives them both the POWER and the AUTHORITY to use it! If someone gave you the keys to the biggest box store, telling you that you could enter at will, take whatever you needed, and reorder all that was necessary for your life without any payment required, would you use them? Well, God gave us the keys to the Kingdom, and we might just hesitate to use them!

The authority we are given is 'backed' by the power of God. Authority without power to back it up is really nothing more than wishful thinking. If we have such 'powerful backing', isn't it time we started to use it to push back the forces of darkness in and around our lives? Just askin!

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

What you heard me teach is an example of what you should teach. Follow that model of right teaching with the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us. (2 Timothy 1:13-14)

Teaching or instruction abounds, but knowing which one should be impacting your life is best left to the best tutor one could ever have - the Holy Spirit. When we ask the Holy Spirit to 'control' what comes into our minds, hearts, and emotions, we are trusting him to 'weed out' any instruction that isn't 'spot on' and 'zero in on' that which is truth. Any 'almost truth' isn't worth our time or effort!

What you hear me teach - God gives us so many positive examples, but is it wise to just 'accept without question' whatever it is they are teaching? No, absolutely not. We need to test every teaching against the Word of God and then rely upon the Holy Spirit to bring a confirmation of that truth deep within our spirit. If it doesn't ring true on ALL accounts, we aren't to buy into it. When I say, 'all accounts', I mean it lines up with the Word of God, is in keeping with the way God acts, and is born up by a confirmation from the Holy Spirit.

If we don't spend time getting to know the voice of God, we might just accept half-truths, or total untruths all together. One of the things we hear so much about these days is 'fact-checking' our political candidates. Maybe it is time we ask the Holy Spirit to 'fact-check' some of the things we have been believing as 'gospel' in our lives! Trust me on this one - the Holy Spirit is kind of like God's "Snopes" when it comes to 'sniffing out truth'!

God's teaching is something we are entrusted with - so we want to get it right. We don't want 'mixed messages' that are a bit 'muddied' by opinion, subtle untruth, or selfish ambition, do we? We want the truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth. To that end, we need the wisdom that comes from getting to know God's Word. We must protect the treasure of truth with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we must share truth (and nothing but the truth), so others may know it, too. Just sayin!

We want the I AM to instruct us

The Lord, the Savior, the Holy One of Israel, says, “I am the Lord your God. I teach you for your own good. I lead you in the way you should go. (Isaiah 48:17)

I teach you for your own good - if we are honest here, we all need a little more of his 'instruction' than we have embraced! We might be 'hearing' his teachings, but are we allowing those words to have a deep and meaningful effect in our lives? It isn't just some random preacher teaching us - it is the "I AM". The self-sufficient, self-sustaining God - the one who was and who always is - he is the one doing the teaching. Are we listening?

"I AM" is the Lord our God. He sustains us when we don't have the wherewithal to sustain ourselves. He is the one who is not dependent upon anyone else - he has been, will always be, and is right now. All manner of 'distraction' exists for us - things or individuals we might want to elevate to the place of a 'god' in our lives, but they can never boast that they have been, will always be, or are right now what they have always been. Any other source of 'leadership' in our lives will never measure up to his!

When God declares "I AM", he is declaring himself as one who desires to be known - to be in relationship with those he created. No wonder he tells us he is the one who teaches us for 'our own good'. Who would know best what we need in our lives than the one who created that life? Teaching begins with hearing the one who is instructing, but it continues when we are led in the way that teaching leads. The 'way we should go' is sometimes not as clear to us as it should be, but the "I AM" is teaching, so we only need to listen!

"I AM" is the one who is our God. We might not realize his instruction is actually happening in our lives, but he uses every opportunity to reveal something about himself we need to realize. He also uses those same opportunities to reveal something about OURSELVES that we need to realize. Whatever he reveals is worth our attention. We are often set free when we finally see what we have worked so hard to ignore or cover up within ourselves. Who better to reveal those things than the "I AM"? Just askin!

Adoption Fee Paid in Full

The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are his children. But the people in the world don’t understand that we are God’s children, because they have not known him. Dear friends, now we are children of God. We have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him. We will see him just as he is. He is pure, and everyone who has this hope in him keeps themselves pure like Christ. (I John 3:1-3)

I have the rare privilege of being a child of God, adopted into his family, chosen to be his follower. How about you? Relationship with Jesus is the beginning of a life lived under different leadership - self no longer leading the way, but God's Spirit giving us direction. Some children have a birthright because they are 'born into' a family. Others are adopted into a family and know the love of the Father because he has chosen to give them a place within a family. Parents see children as a gift, not a possession. They know the 'relationship' that is formed is permanent - they don't just walk away from it. The other thing we know about parents is that their love is often very self-sacrificing. They'd give everything to help their child. God gave his 'everything' in the form of his Son, taking on human flesh, dying on the cross, so each of us could come into this family of God. Adopted - wanted more than anything else - accepted without question.

If the child disobeys, does the parent stop loving the child or seeking the best outcome for that child? Not at all! In fact, it is not uncommon to see a parent 'double-down' in the intensity of their love at those hard moments when discipline is required in order to see the child restored. Why? The intensity of a parent's love for their child goes beyond the 'reasonable' - it requires 'unreasonable' sacrifices at times. The drive to protect the child is deeper than we can truly understand until we become parents ourselves. Even then, we have a limited view of what God's love must truly be like. God's love makes things 'right' when all that we do and say is pretty much 'wrong'. It looks beyond the act of sin and sees us through eyes of forgiveness - all because of this deep, 'unreasonable', and sometimes 'irrational' love of a Father for his child. 

God gives us all the rights, position, love, and care that a parent gives their child. For those of us with no 'birthright', take heart! He has given us a family and holds us as close to his heart as his children. He always wanted you as part of His family and we should be overjoyed that he pursued us even when we were less than lovely, sinners of all types, and far away from being 'loveable'. Some of us struggle with what the world refers to as a positive self-esteem. We might think we don’t have any value - especially to a holy God who wants us to be holy as he is holy. Our sense of value comes from Him, not from ourselves, anything we can do ourselves, or in what we might find in any self-help course. As a child, fully adopted into his family, we find value beyond anything this world could offer. Just sayin!

Diligence, not excuses

"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence."

(Samuel Johnson)

Being excited about something is not enough. You must also know what you are doing. Don’t rush into something, or you might do it wrong. (Proverbs 19:2)

For lazy people, life is a path overgrown with thorns and thistles. For those who do what is right, it is a smooth highway. (Proverbs 14:9)

Faith demands diligence - we cannot focus on obedient steps until we are diligent to consider and act upon all God has shown us. There is absolutely no place for laziness in our Christian walk. We may want to 'rest upon our laurels' a bit, but when we consider what happens when we do, we might just reconsider that desire! Resting upon one's laurels means we settle for remembrance of past success - we fail to move forward. We do absolutely nothing to ensure our present or future success. We might hear God asking us to get up, get busy with him, and move on, but we are most 'content' to just 'rest' right where we are at. The enemy of diligence is laziness, my friends!

Noah could have delayed in doing what God asked him to do. We know Jonah delayed and look what happened to him! At times, we want to make all manner of 'excuses' for why it is not the right timing for us, the task being too hard for us at present, or something requires more of our attention than what God is asking us to do. Jesus told a parable about such 'excuses' (Luke 14). Those who were invited to the 'great feast' refused to come for one reason or another. One needed to look at a recently purchased field, while another wanted to try out his recently acquired work animals. Each with their own excuse - each missed out on the best invitation of their lives! Excuses might work for a while, but we never know when we will miss out on the best 'invitation' of our lives disguised in the form of a step of obedience!

Being excited is not enough. Considering something is good, but is it enough? No, we need to take the steps as God directs 'into' the plan he has prepared. Will we always know where our next step of obedience will take us? No, but this doesn't give us the 'privilege' to make an excuse to just stop. Our faith grows in proportion to our obedience. This isn't an easy lesson to learn, though. Somehow, I think we all want our faith to grow while we wait, but God intends for it to grow as we put one foot in front of the other in steps of obedience to what he reveals, as he reveals it. Just sayin!

Simply believe

Come, let us bow down and worship him! Let us kneel before the Lord who made us. He is our God, and we are the people he cares for, his sheep that walk by his side. (Psalm 95:6-7)

We have been looking into the life of Noah, a man known for his obedience to God and one who stands out for us as a man of 'great faith'. "Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith." (Hebrews 11:7) We might not feel our faith is all that 'great' at times, but if God asked us to do something kind of 'way out there', would we believe it possible God would guide us throughout the task? If we did believe that way, we'd take the steps toward ultimate obedience into all that God asks of us because we'd be assured of his plans, even when we don't fully understand them.

The building of the ark required faith. The gathering and housing of all those animals took faith. Living with them in the enclosure of the ark took a huge amount of faith. How many times do we hear God asks us to do something, then find all manner of excuses or arguments as to why we aren't the ones to do it, or that it is just too impossible? Noah simply obeyed because of his faith, and he is to be remembered as one who was made right with God through his faith. Remember, Noah was asked to build the ark long before Jesus walked this earth - long before miracle after miracle was performed. He simply believed God existed, that he loved his children on this earth, and that he deserved both our reverence and obedience.

Noah trusted that what God told him what was about to happen would ultimately come to pass. He didn’t need to see proof through miracles, or signs, or wonders. God’s Word to him was enough - in hearing it, he took a step outside of his comfort zone and into the 'unknown' of faith. The things unseen didn't matter - he trusted God with the known and the unknown. Maybe this is our lesson today - to trust God with what we cannot see. In every example of great faith in the scripture, it wasn't the 'stature' of the man that mattered - it was the absolute trust they placed in God's ability to do as he said IN SPITE of their weaknesses, inabilities, or lack of 'knowing all up front'. Just sayin!

Do everything?

But Noah pleased the Lord. This is the history of Noah’s family. He was a good man all his life, and he always followed God. Noah did everything God commanded him. (Genesis 6:8-9, 22)

Down through the years, some have asked why they needed to invite God into their lives, touting that they were living 'good lives' - trying their best to make good decisions, not lie or cheat, and generally doing good. The truth is that 'good deeds' are great, but 'good deeds' aren't always the result of a good heart. The heart is deceitful - it is inclined toward sinful choices. What God desires is our obedience. If we never invite Jesus into our lives, never give him access to our heart, our heart will continue to be inclined toward sin. We need his grace to change our hearts so that ALL the works that stem from our hearts are truly 'good'.

Yesterday, we discussed that Noah walked with God. One of the most 'telling' parts of his life's testimony is that he is listening to what God is telling him to do and then obediently carrying out what God asks. Even in the face of great opposition, his obedience didn't waver. God told him to make an ark and to cover inside and out with pitch, using specific measurements and then to 'board' all the animals two-by-two. ALL that God had commanded him he did. From the building to the boarding of the ark; from the time sailing through the storms until the earth dried up; from the door opening to the life 'after the flood' - he was obedient.

What's probably most amazing to me is that Noah didn’t complain about the things that were hard for him to understand. He didn’t question God's actions, nor his purposes - he just did what God told him to do, trusting him all the while. Maybe the reason God called Noah "Good' was his unwavering obedience to ALL God asked. We never know what God's 'tasks' will be for each of us, but when they are revealed to us, we have one of two choices - do what God asks or choose our own plan. The one who consistently does as God asks will be 'kept safe' even when the storms of life come. It isn't just 'good works' we endeavor to perform - it is seeking a 'good heart' that pleases God. The only way to a 'good heart' is through the grace given when we invite Jesus to forgive us of our sins and be the ruler of our lives. Just sayin!

Would you stand out?

Romans 12:1-2 remind us, "So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect." Noah was righteous and blameless before God. Out of all the huge multitude of people on earth at the time, he found favor with God. Others were noted to be so evil, to the point God could not tolerate their evil and corrupt hearts any longer. We can only imagine how difficult it would have been to remain righteous and obedient to God when all those around you were so totally corrupt. Sin was rampant and everyone else was engaging in all manner of evil. Sometimes it is hard to stand for what is right, especially when all around us is standing for what is evil, corrupt, and even vile.

Very few people stood out in scripture as being noted to be 'righteous', 'good', and 'different' from the society around them, but Noah stood out. He was different, choosing not to do the same things those around him were doing. According to scripture, his family trusted God. We don't see evidence that there were any other 'believers' of the time that trusted God in the same way. Maybe there were some 'posers' in the land, but we don't see evidence of God sparing anyone else in the flood. The more we embrace the culture of the day, the further and further people grow away from the holiness of God. The easier it becomes to compromise until we don't really even know what righteousness is any longer. It is easier to change scripture to fit our desires and to justify our sins. 

We live in a dark world as well, but it as far as we know, it is not nearly as dark as it was during Noah's time. We can still find fellowship and other believers to help us live upright lives. We may see all manner of 'unrighteousness' around us, but we aren't alone in the pursuit of righteousness. One of the hardest questions we may have to answer is if we would find favor in God’s sight right now. If God were looking for a righteous man or woman, would he be able to choose you? Would you stand out as being righteous or are you basically acting the same as all those around you in this world? Just askin!

What do you want me to do?

“Why are you looking for me? Is it because you saw miraculous signs? The truth is, you are looking for me because you ate the bread and were satisfied. But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” The people asked Jesus, “What does God want us to do?” Jesus answered, “The work God wants you to do is this: to believe in the one he sent.” (John 6:26-29)

Some might be impressed with the miracles of Jesus, but others are drawn because of a curiosity that might just stem a bit deeper within their spirit. The miracles are always great, but to expect miracles every single day is unrealistic. Jesus makes things quite practical for these followers - believe in the one who sent me. The concern over earthly things might consume their thoughts, but this is not God's plan for any of us.

The work God wants us to do - believe in him. The world tries to get us to believe in things - in what we can achieve or gain because of our hard work, schemes, or just plain good luck. Yes, we need food and clothing, but Jesus reminded his disciples if they trust in him above all else, all their needs would be met by his Father in heaven (Matthew 6:31-33). Philippians 4:19 reminds us, "My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus." Life is more than us just 'doing stuff' to 'get stuff'. It is about trusting in the one who supplies all our needs.

Earthly things spoil and are ruined by time, normal wear and tear. We must guard our hearts against the pursuit of things above our pursuit of God's character being worked out in our lives. If we really want to 'put our hand to the plow', we should do it in our quiet time with Jesus. We can gain more in a few minutes with him, attention undivided and heart attuned to hear his voice, than we can in any amount of time we spend in our pursuit of worldly wealth or 'gains'. 

It is always a good thing to ask, "What does want me to do?" If we want to walk within his will and be in tune with his leadership in our lives, this is the place we begin. To be truthful here, asking this question each day would not be wrong. In fact, it might just set the tone for our days just a bit differently. We might just set aside some of our 'agenda' items and take on some new ones as he leads. Just sayin!

True peace

God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

We might not realize it, but God's desire is for us to walk in true peace, not the temporary peace of the world that we sometimes refer to as 'happiness'. Happiness is situational - God's true peace is there all the time - even in the roughest of times. The world offers us 'sanctuary peace' - get away, relax, take your mind off the issues at hand, and restore. God offers 'true peace' - in the midst of the chaos, with pressures mounting, his peace permeates the crevices of our heart, mind, and emotions.

There is a condition to true peace, though. It is that we move from a place of 'self-dependence' (doing things our way, in our timing, with whatever effort we can exert) into a place of dependence upon him. What does this dependence look like? If we are looking only at what we can see on the surface, there might be evidence of 'emotional balance' - not overreacting, taking things in stride. There could also be a sense of wisdom in the choices that are being made - not rashly doing this or that but taking reasonable steps in God's perfect timing.

In Christ Jesus, we face life's challenges a bit differently that the world does. We have learned to trust in his power and strength - leaning into the wisdom he brings - listening intently for his direction. We don't take the 'opinion' of those who don't trust in Jesus as gospel, but rather seek truth, learning when to move as he directs. The more we come to know the love and grace of Jesus, the deeper our trust in who he is, what he does, and how he accomplishes things within our lives. That deep trust is the basis of true peace.

The world will tout that we need to gauge our actions based upon whether they produce 'happiness' within our lives. If we all lived to do or say whatever made us 'happy' we'd be a rather fickly lot! Happiness is elusive, but peace is permanent. Happiness is based upon circumstances, but peace is based in the person of Jesus. The foundation of each is different - the sooner we realize that the sooner we will learn to walk in true peace! Just sayin!

Noticeable or Discreet

Each one of us has one body, and that body has many parts. These parts don’t all do the same thing. In the same way, we are many people, but in Christ we are all one body. We are the parts of that body, and each part belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4-5)

"A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically, and spiritually wired to love, to be loved, and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don't function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick." (Brene Brown)

What is your 'part' in the Body of Christ? If you cannot answer that right now, then it is time to ask God to show you where you 'fit' and what your 'role' is. We 'belong' to the Body of Christ, and as such, we belong to each other. To neglect relationship with anyone in the Body of Christ is like neglecting a particular part of your physical body. Whenever we neglect any part of our physical body, we find it becomes diseased, smelly, or downright unpleasant to be around. Neglect a brother or sister in Christ and you might find it hard to be around yourself because you are neglecting something you need!

One breaks or becomes numb to life. Are you there to help them put the pieces back together? Are you there to bind up their wounds? It is the way God intends things to be - each of us looking out for the other, helping each other mend, but also grow 'through' the things that make life difficult. Difficulties are made all that much easier when they are born together. Not only do we fulfill a particular 'role' in the Body of Christ, but we play a very special 'role' in ministering to the needs of each other - spiritually, emotionally, and perhaps even service wherever a need exists.

There is much to be learned when we learn to relate to one another. We might not become the best of friends, but when another hurts, help where you can. When another celebrates, cheer right along with them. When one shares some deep treasure God has given them in their time alone with him, take the nougat of truth he gave them and see how it applies in your life. We are made for each other - we need to learn to appreciate we each fulfill a 'role' - small or large; noticeable or discreet. Just sayin!

True peace

Those who love your teachings will find true peace. Nothing can make them fall. (Psalm 119:165)

True peace is different from what the world offers through its various self-help, or self-care. We might 'retreat' to the mountains, take a beach trip, or just veg on the back patio for the weekend, but all the 'self-care' won't restore our soul as much as Christ will when we lean into him. Some will proport that if you find something within yourself that brings you joy, that joy will burn out the pain in life. I suggest that if your joy is found in Christ and him alone, your pain will be 'burned out' by his healing touch and nothing else!

Fall in love with the teachings contained in God's Word and you are well underway toward finding true and lasting peace. It is the peace that isn't found in circumstances, but in his presence. Nothing can make a man or woman of God fall - although the temptation still remains to compromise. That temptation doesn't 'make' you fall - it lures you in wherever you are the weakest. Satan's ploy from the very beginning of time was to exploit the weaknesses of the individual. Shore up those weak areas, not through self-care or self-actualization, but through the blood of Christ!

We learn to love the teachings of God the more we are willing to trust what he says. The Word of God can be relied upon - God even challenges us to 'test the spirits' and see what is true (I John 4:1). God never tells us to latch onto some scripture just because it agrees with an opinion we hold. We may think some scripture is hard to comprehend - even wanting to avoid it all together because we simply cannot make sense of it. ALL scripture is God-breathed and 'good' - even the 'hard stuff'. We might just need to ask God to help us understand it, learn the context of it, and find a good study that guides us into deeper understanding.

The Word of God brings peace - even when it brings conviction. That may seem like a contradictory statement to some, but God's Word always produces the best in us, even when it brings us to a place of repentance. Whenever God uses his Word to bring an 'end' to something in our lives, he is simply bringing us to the place where we will find the new beginning we so desperately need. In turn, we are renewed, reenergized, and recommitted to the pursuit of holiness. Just sayin!

Hey, my prayers aren't getting answered!

I love the Lord for hearing me, for listening to my prayers. Yes, he paid attention to me, so I will always call to him whenever I need help. (Psalm 116:1-2)

We all experience times when we don't think our words are getting through to God - times when answers are delayed, times going from rough to horrible, and even times when we want to hear from him, but there doesn't seem to be anything coming our way. I haven't found any evidence in scripture that says God doesn't hear some of our prayers, or that he only hears certain ones. Even when the people of old were praying to him with impure hearts, he heard! It is important to understand there may be a reason for God not immediately answering. As soon as we can discover that 'reason', the better!

God will not listen to our prayers when we have unconfessed sin in our lives. "I cried out to him for help, and I praised him. If I had been hiding sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me." (Psalm 66:17-18). "Look, the Lord’s power is enough to save you. He can hear you when you ask him for help. It is your sins that separate you from your God. He turns away from you when he sees them." (Isaiah 59:1-2) If we feel our prayers aren't being 'heard', the first thing we should do is ask God if we have any unconfessed sin in our hearts. Even if he hasn't answered those other prayers, he WILL always answer this one!

"We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about what we say. He listens to us every time we ask him. So we know that he gives us whatever we ask from him." (I John 5:14-15) Sometimes we have been praying so earnestly for things that are just totally outside of God's will for us. We might not realize it at first, but God will show us his will, and if we have been seeking things outside of his will, it is time to lay that line of seeking down at the altar. We can desire a relationship he doesn't want us to have - a thing we may have pursued with earnest but come to realize is not really taking us places God wants us to be either spiritually, emotionally, or physically. Lay it down! Don't hold onto things that don't agree with his will.

"You want things, but you don’t get them. So you kill and are jealous of others. But you still cannot get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God. Or when you ask, you don’t receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure." (James 4:2-3) We can all be guilty of not even asking God for whatever it is we need, then blame him because we didn't receive something. We need to ask - according to his will, in his timing, and with faith. We also might ask for things for a very wrong reason - out of selfish ambition or pride. Whenever we do this, God cannot abide the 'motive' behind the requests. Don't expect God to just jump when you ask selfishly - his answer may be a resounding 'no'! Just sayin!

The edge is calling

 I know I was ready to fall, but, Lord, your faithful love supported me. I was very worried and upset, but you comforted me and made me happy! (Psalm 94:18-19)

I don't know about you, but there have been plenty of warnings for me when I am about to 'fall' into temptation of some kind. It could just be the knowledge that what I am about to do is a bit 'out on the edge' of what God really wants for his kids. It could be that I hear a clear warning in my subconscious mind, the voice of the Holy Spirit, warning me to just stop. Either way, I had the chance, but did I always listen? Nope! Does that still happen? From time to time, but less and less frequently. Why? I have learned to lean into God's 'faithful support' when I am just about to take that final step into compromise. There is much to be said about 'knowing you are ready to fall' and and having his unfailing love and support to keep you from doing so.

Knowing when we are about to compromise is important, but it isn't always a lesson we learn the first time. It is in the repeation that we learn some things well, just as it is in the repetition that we learn to give into sin when we shouldn't. If we learn to trust that still small voice, that little niggling within our subconscious, we might find ourselves making the decision to avoid the compromise all together. Will it always be 'stopping' at the same spot of being 'right there on the edge'? No, in time we come to 'stop' a bit sooner, then a little bit sooner. Why? We have learned to trust God to keep us from stumbling - we are listening closely to his voice, and we desire to see our choices changed. God can work with that!

Being on the 'brink of falling' is kind of scary, isn't it? God gives us the warning that we are approaching too closely to the 'edge' because he knows the closer we get to the edge, the more unstable the footing becomes underneath us. He calls us back because he doesn't want us to fall. We need to learn to trust that voice of warning - even when the struggle with sin's pull to compromise seems a bit stronger than we'd been prepared for. God knows the desires of our heart. He sees the path we are following. Never be concerned that he won't give the warning to stop. Be more concerned that you won't listen, lean in, and learn to turn away before you actually reach the edge! Just saying!

A transition of power

 But don’t let sin control your life here on earth. You must not be ruled by the things your sinful self makes you want to do. Don’t offer the parts of your body to serve sin. Don’t use your bodies to do evil, but offer yourselves to God, as people who have died and now live. Offer the parts of your body to God to be used for doing good. Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace. (Romans 6:12-14)

To be controlled is to be dominated by someone or something. We can be controlled by 'things' as easily as we can be controlled by another person. We can also be controlled by thoughts, emotions, and even desires. Perhaps this is why it is so important to be constantly aware of who or what is exerting control over our lives - giving direction to our lives. When we are allowing control to anyone or anything other than Christ, we are in danger of being controlled by what could bring us harm. That which has 'direction over' our lives will either move us in the right direction, bringing positive change, or it will drive us further into depravity.

How unwise is it to be controlled by our own desires? Those desires are more than a bit selfish, aren't they? They might not seem that way at first, but given time and enough space in our lives, those desires can lead us into all manner of compromising choices. They are more than 'mistakes' we make, or lapses in judgment - they become a pattern. Patterns of behavior that elevate self, focus on what pleasures self, or what belittles others are never good patterns. Self has a way of directing our lives down paths we might not have explored until we gave self a place of dominant focus. As our scripture aptly points out, we offer ourselves to sin. We actually allow the domination of our minds, hearts, and souls even when we are passive. Not paying attention to choices we make is as dangerous as consciously making them!

The good news is that self doesn't have to be the master of our lives. The 'transition of power' within our lives will not come as easily as we might want it to, but whenever we make a conscious decision to serve Christ, put him first in our lives, and then seek his wisdom with our choices, the 'transition of power' begins to occur. We lean into him, seeking his wisdom and his power, and we find our 'power', 'wisdom', and 'strength' pale in comparison. We soon become dissatisfied with those things that once held our attention and seemed to be so important for us to pursue. Why? The transition of power is bringing less and less reliance and trust in our self (fleshly desires). We might long for the 'transition' to be complete, but as long as we are experiencing even gradual progress in that direction, we are on the right path! Just saying!

A strong soul is emerging

 God is our protection and source of strength. He is always ready to help us in times of trouble. So we are not afraid when the earth quakes and the mountains fall into the sea. We are not afraid when the seas become rough and dark and the mountains tremble. Selah (Psalm 46:1-3)

Protection requires strength, doesn't it? Do you feel protected inside a tent in the midst of a dime-sized hailstorm? Not likely. You might feel a whole lot better inside a quanset hut because you know the walls can endure the winds and the hail. The strength of the hut gives you a peace that you will come out of the storm all right. When God is our source of protection, he is also our strength - but in order to enjoy his strength in the midst of the storm, we need to 'come into' the place of his protection!

God does more than just preserve us from injury or harm, though. There is an overwhelming peace that passes all understanding that is involved with his protection. Did you know the word protection comes from the Latin meaning that which is a covering in front - a shelter? God does more than just put a shelter over us - he puts one out in front of us, so the enemy of our souls has no passage into the safety of our shelter in him.

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. (Khalil Gibran)

A strong character is obtained in the hardest of circumstances, in the moments God shows us truth, guides our steps, and calms our out of control thoughts. We might not appreciate what is being 'built into us' in the moment when things are tough and kind of scary. We might not know when God is at work, but somehow we begin to see things differently, settling into the peaceful place of being sheltered by his strength. The more we put God before us, taking the control of the circumstances out of our own hands, the more we will feel the safety of that protective covering of his strength. Just saying!

The Best Tact

The Lord made a gourd plant grow quickly over Jonah. This made a cool place for Jonah to sit and helped him to be more comfortable. He was very happy because of this plant. The next morning, God sent a worm to eat part of the plant. The worm began eating the plant, and the plant died. After the sun was high in the sky, God caused a hot east wind to blow. The sun became very hot on Jonah’s head, and he became very weak. He asked God to let him die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” But God said to Jonah, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry just because this plant died?” Jonah answered, “Yes, it is right for me to be angry! I am angry enough to die!” And the Lord said, “You did nothing for that plant. You did not make it grow. It grew up in the night, and the next day it died. And now you are sad about it. If you can get upset over a plant, surely I can feel sorry for a big city like Nineveh. There are many people and animals in that city. There are more than 120,000 people there who did not know they were doing wrong.” (Jonah 4:6-11)

The reaction of Jonah to God's movement of grace: go outside the city and pout under a shelter he made with his own hands, waiting to see what will happen next. We don't get any impression that Jonah fully grasped what God had sent him to do in Ninevah, nor God's response to the people. What we do see is that Jonah was still trying to do things in his own power. He made the shelter. He wasn't 'comfortable' in what he had 'done himself'. We rarely are! We usually feel a bit relieved, but just as the sun beat down on Jonah under that shelter, we find our actions are 'insufficient' to bring us true satisfaction, peace, and comfort. God's actions are always amazing - he provided a swift growing gourd plant to cover the shelter and bring relief to Jonah. We should never be surprised when God takes the flimsy thing we accomplish and adds his blessing to it. 

The plant quickly died, leaving Jonah in a barren place, scorched by the sun. We should never be surprised when what appeared as a blessing doesn't 'last' as long as we'd hope. It is God we should focus on, never the blessing. He is the giver of the gift, but we sometimes become more excited about the gift than we are about the giver. Perhaps God was trying to show Jonah there was more than a little root of pride in his heart, or that he struggled with anger as a result. We don't know exactly what God is doing in our lives at times, because it seems 'contrary' to what we know about God when the blessing doesn't last. What he may be doing in the things we don't understand is working on the depths of our own heart. I doubt Jonah expected to go to Ninevah so God could purify HIS heart. He thought only of the 'mission' to share the message of God's judgment, not that he was struggling with obedience, pride, anger, or mistrust. God won't let us live long in a place of 'comfort' while there is still stuff in our heart that he needs to work on.

If God were to allow us to continue in our 'comfort' and never focus on what put us in that place, we'd never get beyond the struggles we have in our own heart. Jonah saw God as 'not doing what he said he'd do', all the while missing that God was doing bigger things in his own heart. We can find ourselves questioning what God is doing in or for others, often seeing them as 'contrary' to the way we thought God should act toward them, but we must never forget he is always focusing on our heart's condition. As much as we think someone might not 'deserve' the grace God gives, we must never lose sight of the need for grace we continue to need. God exposes more of our heart in our responses to someone else's blessings than we might realize. When he does, the best tact to take is to listen closely, act upon what he reveals about the condition of our heart, and then seek his plan for correction. It may not be 'comfortable', but it is necessary. Just saying!

God's Heart

God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people. Jonah was not happy that God saved the city. Jonah became angry. He complained to the Lord and said, “Lord, I knew this would happen! I was in my own country, and you told me to come here. At that time I knew that you would forgive the people of this evil city, so I decided to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are a kind God. I knew that you show mercy and don’t want to punish people. I knew that you are kind, and if these people stopped sinning, you would change your plans to destroy them. So now, Lord, just kill me. It is better for me to die than to live.” Then the Lord said, “Do you think it is right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 3:10-4:4)

Don't be surprised when God acts 180-degrees from how you thought he'd act! God is always more concerned with our hearts than he is anything else. When the people moved to change their ways instead of continue in their depravity, Jonah was caught a little off-guard. He likely never expected God to just 'spare' their lives and show them all that grace. There are times when we need a whole lot of grace - like those 'belly of the whale' moments, or entanglement with the seaweed moments. It can sometimes be hard for us to realize God treats ALL sinners the same way - with love, grace, and hope. Even the most 'vile' of sin can be forgiven when one seeks his forgiveness. This is how Ninevah responded, and in turn, God seemingly 'changed his mind' about destroying them. Don't for a moment forget God knows the end from the beginning - sinners seeking grace is not a new thing for him!

Jonah thought he knew God's plan, but when the 'plan' changed, he didn't understand how that could happen. If we understand God sending him to deliver the message as a 'warning' that could give them a chance to repent, then we come a little closer to understanding the extreme love of God. He doesn't delight in evil things happening, nor does he delight in the depravity of sin and what it brings with it into a man's life. He does delight in any response that acknowledges the path a man has been traveling hasn't been right and has been destroying lives. He can 'work with' that acknowledgement and the desire to change. The actions that led God to send Jonah were still sinful and destructive to a whole nation. Change was needed and that is exactly what the King of Ninevah and the people acknowledge. God is always open to receiving a repentant soul.

Did God really 'change his mind', or did he know they would repent if given the right opportunity? We don't really know this because we have no other way of describing God's actions than to say he must have had a 'change of mind'. On the outside, that is how it looks. Did God know the message would evoke repentance? I honestly believe he did, but he wasn't through with Jonah's heart yet. It needed a bit more attention. We might think God is going to do something one way, but when he doesn't 'perform' as we thought, we can sometimes question if we heard God correctly. We might question if God really intended to do what he said. We don't need to second-guess God. We need to trust him when he asks us to do things we don't understand - even when they lead to greater things we still don't understand. He has a reason we may not comprehend, but he has a heart we can fully come to appreciate. Just saying!

Wise Leadership

There is much to be said about the leadership of a nation. It can lead us in one of two directions - toward God or further away from God. It can follow an agenda that brings further compromise into a nation, or bring that nation to a place of insight, wise choices, and true freedom.

When the king of Nineveh heard about this, he left his throne, removed his robe, put on special clothes to show that he was sorry, and sat in ashes. The king wrote a special message and sent it throughout the city: A command from the king and his great rulers: For a short time no person or animal should eat anything. No herd or flock will be allowed in the fields. Nothing living in Nineveh will eat or drink water. But every person and every animal must be covered with a special cloth to show they are sad. People must cry loudly to God. Everyone must change their life and stop doing bad things. Who knows? Maybe God will stop being angry and change his mind, and we will not be punished. God saw what the people did. He saw that they stopped doing evil. So God changed his mind and did not do what he planned. He did not punish the people. (Jonah 3:6-10)

I imagine Jonah didn't look all that 'stellar' after the raging storm, depths of the sea, and three days in the belly of the fish. I suspect he didn't smell all that great. Yet, the people looked beyond his appearance and they heard his message. The message wasn't some mamby-pamby one, either! It was 'after 40 days, Ninevah will be destroyed'. We don't have any other account of him telling them to repent, get their lives right with God, or even to worship the one True God. Plain and simple - the message God gave him.

The people hear and they immediately embrace he message, tear their clothes, turning to a period of fasting. More than than, the King of Ninevah comes off his throne, engages in the same actions of repentance, decrees that all should cry out to God for his deliverance. A true leader isn't afraid to change his ways! When those ways haven't been the best or wisest, to embrace change might be difficult, cost you something, and be a little bit 'out of character', but sometimes God needs to change the 'character' a bit in order to move us in the direction we need to be headed. Just saying!

Unexpected means to an end

If you found yourself in the belly of a whale, do you suspect you'd be kind of glad to be free from that 'chamber of horror'? The account of Jonah continues with the fish 'vomiting' him up onto dry land. Do you know how close to dry land a whale can actually get? It usually isn't right up to the shoreline, is it? When God does miracles to redeem us from the folly of our rebellion and sin, don't be surprised when he does things completely outside of the realm of 'normal'!

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah again and said,  “Go to that big city Nineveh, and say what I tell you.” So Jonah obeyed the Lord and went to Nineveh. It was a very large city. A person had to walk for three days to travel through it. Jonah went to the center of the city and began speaking to the people. He said, “After 40 days, Nineveh will be destroyed!” (Jonah 3:1-4)

The call was difficult enough, but the 'journey' to actually act upon that call was likely more difficult than Jonah ever imagined. Sometimes the 'journey' into obedience is harder than it looks, but rarely do we encounter what we 'imagined'. I doubt Jonah thought he'd encounter the raging storm, fearful sailors, a big fish, and the three day walk into the center of one of the largest metropolises of the day. He likely imagined a routy crowd, not very willing to listen to him, much less take heed when he warned them of God's plan for their land.

Instead, he delivered the message, hard as it was, and do you know what happened next? "The people of Nineveh believed God. They decided to stop eating for a time to think about their sins. They put on special clothes to show they were sorry. All the people in the city did this, from the most important to the least important." (vs. 5) They fasted! They thought about the way they had been living their lives! The contemplated the truth of their misguided choices! They believed God!

The steps of obedience we take may seem 'out there' at times, but when God calls us to do something 'out there', he has prepared to do great things through those steps. Jonah likely had no clue their response would be to hear him out, much less turn their hearts to God and seek their redemption. We never know when God will use in unexpected ways and in ways 'bigger' than our imagination can concoct. All that is required is our obedience. Just saying!

He pursues us

My soul gave up all hope, but then I remembered the Lord. I prayed to you, and you heard my prayers in your holy Temple. “Some people worship useless idols, but those statues never help them. I will give sacrifices to you, and I will praise and thank you. I will make special promises to you, and I will do what I promise.” Salvation only comes from the Lord! (Jonah 2:7-9)

We might think there is no hope in our current situation, but God isn't afraid of the darkness, nor is he one to abandon his children. He gives us all the 'space' we require in order to come to the end of our 'selfishness' and 'rebellion', but he doesn't leave us there forever. When we call upon him, he hears - because he has never left us!

Jonah realized the God he served wasn't just some useless idol, but the One True God. His covenant with those whom he loves is forever. Most importantly, he realizes salvation comes no other way. Salvation is more than the deliverance from the penalty of sin that we find in relationship with Jesus. It also carries the meaning of the act of saving or protecting from harm, risk, loss, or destruction.

Jonah was counting on God to help him avoid harm - although things looked very bleak at the moment for him. Those who have a relationship with God may find themselves in places they don't want to be because of some compromise or rebellion in their lives, but it doesn't mean the relationship is abandoned. We can seek God's help - but as we explored earlier, it doesn't always mean we avoid the consequences of our rebellion. It does mean he is capable and willing to help us get on the right path again!

God doesn't look for our promises - he looks for us to act on them. Jonah made a promise and committed to do as he promised. When we engage with God in the things he asks us to do, we can be assured he will help us fulfill those promises we have made. He enables us to live out our right choices - but he pursues us with love and grace when we don't always follow the right path. Just saying!

The lowest of lows

“You threw me into the sea. Your powerful waves splashed over me. I went down, down into the deep sea.
The water was all around me. Then I thought, ‘Now I must go where you cannot see me,’ but I continued looking to your holy Temple for help." (Jonah 2:3-4)

We all are subject to those 'weak moments' when darkness is about to consume us, having made unwise choices. In the darkest places, it never ceases to amaze me that we 'call out'. We may not even know what we are calling out for, or who it is we are calling out to, but we 'call out'. Why? We need help! We feel shame over our actions. We aren't doing 'well' emotionally, spiritually, or physically and we need help. Does it come as any surprise that in the darkest of places Jonah is still looking to God for help? It shouldn't because we serve a God of redemption!

I was at the bottom of the sea, the place where the mountains begin. I thought I was locked in this prison forever, but the Lord my God took me out of my grave. God, you gave me life again! (vs. 6)

At our lowest place, God is there. At our highest peak, God is there. At our everyday, run-of-the-mill kind of moments, God is there. If you're doubting that right now, think again. God has never abandoned us, and he never will. Sin drives a wedge between us, but grace works to remove the wedge. When we feel we are 'locked into our sinful patterns' in life, we need to only cry out. God is at the ready to give us life again. We make the choice to follow sin's pull - we also make the choice to embrace his grace when our sin has led us to feel ashamed and overwhelmed.

We all come to our 'bottom places', but he is right there beside us, reaching for us. We might not always 'feel' God with us, nor will we always be able to 'see' he is working in us, but we can trust that he never leaves us to experience that darkness alone. Jesus went to the grave for us - the darkest place did not consume him, so why would we think God incapable of helping us find our way out of ours? Just askin!

The way we live

Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

We have been studying the life of Jonah, a prophet called to go to a sinful nation to warn them to turn to God. As we have discovered, it is really impossible to outrun God, keep others away from the consequences of our sin, or live forever in our rebellion. As he finds himself thrown overboard (the very thing he suggested to the sailors), he is swallowed by a big fish. In our sin, there is always 'darkness' of some form. The sea was dark, the belly of the fish was dark, and the emotional state of Jonah was pretty dark, as well. Sin takes us down - it never lifts us up.

While Jonah was in the stomach of the fish, he prayed to the Lord his God. He said, “I was in very bad trouble. I called to the Lord for help, and he answered me. I was deep in the grave. I cried to you, and you heard my voice." (Jonah 2:1-3) 

Jonah realized the 'darkness' was his own doing - rebellion is always a matter of choice. The 'big fish' held him 'captive' for three days and three nights - sufficient time to realize the dark place he was in was not where he wanted to be! If the rough seas had not been a good enough warning, the darkness that surrounded him in the belly of the fish would soon become so overwhelming that he would cry out to God. Sin has a way of presenting consequences in ever-increasing significance, doesn't it? Rough seas, discarded cargo, and an angry mob of sailors was one place of darkness for Jonah, but he still didn't think these consequences enough to cry out to God for mercy.

We might not realize how far we have moved away from the place God wants us to be until we experience the darkness that surrounds us on every side. One thing I don't want us to lose sight of in our study is God's grace. He didn't need to prepare the 'big fish' for Jonah, but he did. We don't know why Jonah wasn't just chewed up, dissolved in the stomach of the fish, and that would be that. What we do know is that even in our worst rebellion God doesn't abandon us. He 'prepared' the fish - somehow that included Jonah not being utterly destroyed. Even in our rebellion, God gives grace. It would be much better to never have rebelled, but we can take hope in knowing that he prepares a way for us to come out of that darkness. Just sayin!

Obedience vs. Rebellion - which one will God use?

Jonah said to the men, “I know I did wrong—that is why the storm came on the sea. So throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm.” Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the shore, but they couldn’t do it. The wind and the waves of the sea were too strong—and they were becoming stronger and stronger. (Jonah 1:12-13)

If you are anything like me, you have probably tried any number of ways to figure out a solution that seemed quite a bit harder than you'd like it to be, all the while having been given the 'right answer', but choosing to ignore it in pursuit of 'any other solution'. The issue with 'any other solution' is that it rarely proves to be 'easier' or 'the best'. When we are told clearly what we need to do and ignore it in pursuit of anything else, we can be sure the work we are putting into the 'solution' will fall short of fixing the issue.

The seas were rocking the boat, it was taking on water from the rough seas, the winds were fierce, but these sailors are going to 'row back to shore'? How realistic is that? They are having a tough enough time trying to 'ride it out', much less escape it! The issue was Jonah's disobedience. The answer was to send him to the sea. The dilemma was that no sailor wanted to abandon a passenger into the depths of the sea if they weren't doing so for a burial at sea! Sometimes the solution seems a little odd or 'out of the realm of normal', but when God gives the solution, we would do well to listen.

So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t say we are guilty of killing an innocent man. Please don’t make us die for killing him. We know you are the Lord, and you will do whatever you want.” So the men threw Jonah into the sea. The storm stopped, and the sea became calm. When the men saw this, they began to fear and respect the Lord. They offered a sacrifice and made special promises to the Lord. (vs. 14-16)

Did the sailors feel tremendous guilt in following through on what Jonah advised? Absolutely. Did they see any other way? Nope. Could it be that even Jonah's disobedience would give these sailors a chance to see the power of the one true God, some of which I am sure were not following the Lord because they were to 'praying to their gods' to calm the seas? We'd like to think God could use our rebellion and disobedience in a positive manner, wouldn't we? God can use ANYTHING or ANYONE to share the truth about who he is, but he'd much rather do so through our actions of obedience instead of those of our rebellion! Just sayin!

There are always consequences

 Have you ever wondered if your rebellion has an effect on others? Wonder no longer! We cannot live outside of God's will for very long without it having an effect on those around us. Either they will suffer direct consequences of our rebellion, such as when a drug addict brings drugs into the home and an innocent child gets hurt by them, or they will be indirect, such as when a spouse engages in an extramarital affair and there is a division of family through divorce. The effects of your rebellion are felt by many more than just you.

Jonah said to the men, “I know I did wrong—that is why the storm came on the sea. So throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm.” Instead, the men tried to row the ship back to the shore, but they couldn’t do it. The wind and the waves of the sea were too strong—and they were becoming stronger and stronger. So the men cried to the Lord, “Lord, please don’t say we are guilty of killing an innocent man. Please don’t make us die for killing him. We know you are the Lord, and you will do whatever you want.” So the men threw Jonah into the sea. The storm stopped, and the sea became calm. When the men saw this, they began to fear and respect the Lord. They offered a sacrifice and made special promises to the Lord. (Jonah 1:12-16)

Jonah knew he was in the wrong. He knew he was outside of God's will, and I believe he knew the storms these sailors were enduring was a direct result of his rebellion. He even goes so far as to acknowledge that he knows he did wrong, but he still isn't at the point of turning away from his rebellion and doing what God desired. Isn't it amazing how we can be unwilling to do what God asks and then when we realize we have been 'found out', we still choose to continue on in our rebellion? Given the chance to confess that he was wrong and then to ask God's forgiveness, he chooses to just be 'thrown overboard' and take his chances. 

Sin has a way of convincing us that our 'chances' might be okay on our own, when God clearly knows they will not be good at all. The choice to rebel against God's will ALWAYS has consequences. If not immediate, the cumulative effect of those choices will lead to some form of consequences in the end. We cannot outrun God - nor can we expect others to not suffer when we choose rebellion over obedience. It is never easy acknowledging our sin, but it is always more difficult to endure our rebellion. Just sayin!

The storm proves otherwise

But the Lord brought a great storm on the sea. The wind made the sea very rough. The storm was very strong, and the boat was ready to break apart. The men wanted to make the boat lighter to stop it from sinking, so they began throwing the cargo into the sea. The sailors were very afraid. Each man began praying to his god. (Jonah 1:4-5)

We asked the important question yesterday: "Can we outrun God?" Though we attempt everything to outrun his call, we need to pause for a moment to consider God doing whatever it takes to get us back on course in our lives. Is it possible that some of the 'storms' we have in life are caused because we have been trying to outrun something God has asked us to do? We find one distraction after another, or just plain go the opposite direction, hoping to put some distance between us and whatever it is God asks of us. The moment we decide to 'run' is the moment God begins to prepare the storm!

We might find that the general condition of our life's events turns from smooth sailing to rough seas. The more we resist God's pull, the harder it gets for us to navigate our life. Why? God knows the best path for us is one of obedience and there is nothing he asks of us that is 'too hard' or 'too impossible' for us. The moment we resist his work within our hearts, minds, or souls, the storm begins to ramp up. It isn't to punish us, but to make us see the futility of our 'retreat' to our places of perceived safety. Jonah went to the interior of the boat and attempted to sleep through the storm. In case you have done something similar, you are not alone!

There is always a cost to our rebellion. These boat owners and sailors counted on the delivery of that cargo they were forced to throw overboard that day. They would have lost the income that would have come when the cargo was safely delivered to its destination. Instead, they attempt to control the effects of the storm by lightening the load the boat was carrying. We need to understand that the 'storm' in our lives rarely just affects us. It has some form of ripple-down effect into the lives of others. We may be resisting God's call to obedience, but when we do, we begin to affect the lives of those who are nothing more than innocent bystanders. 

Disobedience isn't ever the easy way out. God will pursue us in whatever way is necessary to see our lives put back on track. We might think we can escape, but the 'storm' proves otherwise. Just sayin!

Can we outrun God?

The Lord spoke to Jonah son of Amittai: “Nineveh is a big city. I have heard about the many evil things the people are doing there. So go there and tell them to stop doing such evil things.” But Jonah tried to run away from the Lord. He went to Joppa and found a boat that was going to the faraway city of Tarshish. Jonah paid money for the trip and went on the boat. He wanted to travel with the people on this boat to Tarshish and run away from the Lord. (Jonah 1:1-3)

Is it possible to run from God's calling in your life? Yes! Can you do it with a clear conscience? Nope! The truth of the matter is that we cannot outrun God, nor can we deny his calling in our lives. Those whom he calls are also equipped. The calling may not 'measure up' to what we 'desire' in our lives, such as when Jonah was called to go to an evil city, filled with all manner of sin, to bring them the message of salvation. His desire was likely to see them burn for their sins rather than go right into the midst of their 'filth' and 'depravity'. They were known for their idol worship, depravity, enslaving nations, and plundering the peoples of the land - but God wanted the message of salvation brought into their midst. Can we undo God's will? Nope!

We oftentimes don't understand 'why' God asks us to do what he does, but we should trust he has a bigger plan than we might first imagine possible. A big city - perhaps made 'bigger' in Jonah's eyes because of how depraved they were as a hostile people. Tell them to stop - a hard message to hear when you actually want to make a change in your life, much less when you like the way you have been living! When we are resisting the purposes and plans of God, we will find ourselves struggling with taking the first step of obedience. We might not really want to do what he says, but there is wisdom in taking the first step, even though we don't see the purpose or understand the bigger picture. 

Is it possible to outrun God? Nobody has succeeded yet, so I am pretty sure the answer to that one is 'no'. I had a friend in Bible College that told us of the many months he had tried to outrun God. A drug dealer, dishonest in all his business dealings, and living a hardened life. He recalled how he heard message after message about how he needed to change his life - get right with God and turn away from all the 'bad stuff' he was engaged in. Yet, he ran. While running, he was amazed to see that even the power poles on the side of the road looked like crosses! God won't let us resist forever - he will place reminder after reminder in our path to help us see there is no better way than within his will. Just sayin!