Author: thischicksinpeace

I woke up extra early this morning because of a bad dream…In Ecclesiastes we are told that being too busy gives you nightmares (5:3 if interested in seeing for yourself). I imagine that could be it….after all, my Firestick was not working last night for me to go to sleep watching my usual Alaska: the Last Frontier episode so I instead chose to listen to the Bible being read to me from my Bible App.

How cool is that? The Word being read to you as you drift off to sleep??! 11 chapters of John went into this subconscious!

Anyhoo, (yes I said HOO and not hoW) one would have thought I would have slept like a rock- which I did until about 5 am…

I just led a study about the prophet Daniel and learned that God had given him the wisdom to interpret dreams…what a neat gift to have! I said to the teens that I imagined he was tons of fun at a party for those Babylonians!

After my dream, I was I could interpret where it came from or what it meant…However, my mind goes back to Ecclesiastes and settles there to say

Amy, your brain is just too busy.

This is an unusual week for me…one that I have planned well for and not well for at the same time. There is much that is happening that cannot possibly be in my control…

I believe that is where a dream of fear and failure enters in.

I chose to wake up early, get my coffee, and get into the Word.

I needed something from the Lord to soothe my nerves-know what I mean?

Self-talk was not cutting it! You know the drill:

It’s not real

It has not happened yet so quit worrying

It may NOT ever happen so quit worrying

Am I alone in realizing that telling yourself, or having someone else tell you, to “quit worrying DOES NOT HELP???

You are doing a good job

You have good kids

How could I possibly help anyone if I cannot help those in my own home?!

You are a fraud

Oh, it goes on and on and on….

I needed MORE to come into my thoughts and heart that would stick!

Enter in the Lord when I prayed for help first thing this morning~

These words were a soothing balm to my soul…

LOOK to the Lord

Look to His strength –

-not MY strength-which is not much!

SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS=

-Not such an easy task, but it is a habit that is essential to learn to do if you seek peace!!!

REMEMBER THE WORKS HE HAS DONE; HIS MIRACLES AND THE JUDGMENTS HE HAS PRONOUNCED!!!

If I want a peace about me that runs into my very bone marrow, a peace that settles my spirit into calm brook instead of a class 4 rapid-

then I need to CHOOSE to remember what God has done for His creation since He created this world, what He has done for me in His prevenient grace, that He has NEVER left me alone, that He has comforted me, that He has renewed my life, He has restored my marriage, that He has changed the legacy that we were initially going to leave for our kids, that He brought salvation to my father in law, that He has protected us, but mostly that HE WILL ALWAYS HOLD MY HAND NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.

So,

I am a person who has received mercy- there is doubt about it! There was a time when I lived a life that was in darkness…a life that deserved a punishment for the wrongs I had done even though I looked like a good person. 

As a person who was convicted of no crime nor ever done “hard time”…

it would be easy to say that I am being overly dramatic about my past.

But once I stepped out of the darkness and into the LIGHT I knew mercy had been given to me. I saw myself for what I was…I knew my sinful heart.

I have been called out of the dark to proclaim the LIGHT!

My value now comes from being one of God’s children, not from what I can achieve or accomplish on my own merit. I have worth because of what GOD does and not on what I do.

I will find rest, O my soul, in God alone;

MY HOPE COMES FROM HIM.

               He alone is my rock and my salvation;

               He is my fortress, I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN.

                                             My salvation and my honor depend on God;

                                              He is my mighty rock, MY REFUGE.

                                                                           Trust in Him at all times, O people;

                                                                            POUR OUT YOUR HEARTS TO HIM,

                                                                             for God is our refuge.

  is~

Psalm 62:5-8

Here’s another Facebook Memory snapshot from a year ago today! My mom liked it- so it must be decent!

From Charlton Heston

to Christian Bale

portraying Moses to my own “stage” attempt as a frog from the plague of frogs hoppity-dancing in the church play back in maybe second grade- I have loved the story of Moses and the Great Exodus!

An intersting part of the story is that Moses did not feel “worthy” to speak to Pharoah himself-even though he was raised in as a member of Pharoah’ family and was educated in the palace as Pharoah was- so God used his brother Aaron to be the spokesman (Moses heard from God and Aaron became the prophet). God talked to Moses through a burning bush…but Moses did not feel qualified to speak or be a leader that people would either follow or listen to.

How many times have I identified with that? I find myself asking “are You SURE, Lord? Who am I that anyone would listen???”

It was after five times standing before Pharoah that we suddenly see Moses gaining confidence- this was now the fourth plague, where even Pharoah’s magicians were recognizing the hand of God in these  so-called “natural disasters” and sensing that Aaron and Moses had obvious Divine authority to call forth such feats!

By the fifth plague, it appears Moses is finally doing all the talking and being the one to physically display God’s power- no longer is Aaron throwing or lifting the staff to bring about another plague.

God continues to pair Moses and Aaron:  to support of each other. He does not remove Aaron from Moses’ side or toss Aaron aside because the REAL leader has stepped forward!  Later,   we are told that Aaron and his descendents are  chosen as the Levite priests to care for the Ark and the Temple- definately a role with honor!

But, prior to the Israelites leaving Egypt, Moses has clearly FINALLY stepped forward to accept his given role and position of leadership. It took some time, but Moses was ready.

That’s where the real fun of the story kicks up and God really started to make His presence and power known!

Watching/reading about God’s patience within the transition of these roles  between Aaron and Moses is encouraging to me when I feel ill-equipped to do or act or speak out.

It is but one facet of detail within this multi-layered story but it is the one feature standing out to me today. I hope it just doesn’t take five plagues or more before I develop secure footing in who God has called me to be!

We sang this song on Sunday that made me think of the story of Jonah. As you listen to it, picture Jonah in the shadow of death, when he is caught in the middle of the storms of this life…he will see a light that is coming and a hand to hold on…it tells the tale so perfectly!

Then my pastor mentioned  Andy Stanley saying that “Christians believe the craziest things” …I think that is called having a leap of faith! The story of Jonah is a big leap so let’s get jumping!

Jonah is on dry land after surviving an unbelievable life threatening event…What does God do?  God said to Jonah -Go to Nineveh.

Jonah was  given a second chance to do what God wanted him to do in the first place. He had really screwed this one up and yet was forgiven. God now sets him out to do orignal task  as if nothing had happened between him and God.

How crazy is that?? That is God’s mercy at its finest!

If we turn back to God, He forgives us and moves forward without holding our mistake against us!

Jonah heads to Nineveh and over the course of 3 days he tells the people the news of God’s plan to destroy them because of their detestable, godless, sinful ways. He tells them that God’s plan of judgement will come to them in 40 days…

After sharing this (insert sarcastic eye roll here)

joyous and uplifting news with the people of Nineveh, Jonah heads over to a hill to get a front row seat to watch God’s wrath in action.

After all, Jonah has completed the task he was saved for…right?

The King of Nineveh, however, responded to the message given by Jonah as a warning…He told his people that MAYBE God would not destroy them if they turned from their evil ways and turned to God instead. He thought MAYBE  the point in Jonah coming to tell them this news was for them to have  chance at salvation.

MAYBE, just maybe, they could have a second chance…

Jonah 3:9 says “who knows, God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his anger.”

What did they have to lose by repenting with sincere remorse??? Their LIVES were on the line!!

Question:

Answer:

YES!

We turn our heads back to our friend Jonah, you remember him- the one who used to speak on God’s behalf but then ran as far as he could because he did not want to do what God told him; he’s the one who almost drowned in a storm before he got SWALLOWED by a huge fish and sat inside it for THREE WHOLE DAYS; he’s the one who told God how thankful he was for the mercy that was shown him before he was puked back onto dry land- yeah….THAT  Jonah.

Can you see him sitting on that hill overlooking Nineveh?

Let’s just say his response to God changing his mind was not as appreciative of the mercy shown to him…

Jonah knew God was merciful and had experienced mercy himself when he did not deserve it…yet he was so furious with God that God backed down from the plan that Jonah decided he would rather be dead himself than live in a world with that kind of compassion!

Wow.

He would rather be dead than have these people be given a second chance to get life right with God.

Jonah was looking like a fool suddenly. He had made this HUGE declaration about what he thought God would do…and completely forgot the character of God and how God’s compassion would deter His wrath.

God asks him- is it right for you to be angry?

God was teaching Jonah about mercy and forgiveness…that it goes beyond Jonah.  Jonah had forgotten the mercy he was so thankful for when he was in the belly of the fish.

 God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness extends to ALL people. NO ONE deserves mercy but yet we all are given it- even the bad of all bad if they choose to stop running from God and toward Him instead.

God tries another angle to get Jonah’s attention for mercy…this time he uses a simple comfort. In the heat of the day, God provided a branch that gave Jonah shade while he pouted. In the night, he let a worm eat the branch and therefore destroy the chance of shade. When the hot wind began to blow Jonah was in great discomfort.

Jonah’s indignant response???

I wish I was dead!

Really?? You survived drowning and lived for three days in the belly of a whale and NOW, because you are hot, you wish you were dead??

How fast we all fluctuate in our responses to God….when it rains, we wish it was sunny but when it is sunny, we complain that it is hot…It’s like having religious bipolar-we bounce from one feeling toward God to another!

God’s response was the same as before- is it right for you to be angry?

Do we wish for God’s compassion on those who are wicked?

On those who have wronged us?

On those who are different from us or someone we don’t know?

Do we wish for them to know God’s mercy and forgiveness?

God saved the sailors in this story when they pleaded for help. They knew Him not.

God saved Jonah from drowning and had him tucked safely in the belly of a whale. He deliberately disobeyed God even though he knew Him.

God saved the people of Nineveh– who were completely wicked and godless- when they responded to Jonah’s teaching.

God sent Jonah to Nineveh because He had created those people too and loved them as much as He loves all of His creation…He sent Jonah to Nineveh because God knew they were ready to hear what Jonah needed to tell them…

Here’s the crux…God desires ALL to know Him, trust Him, and be saved.

God will use anyone and everyone to get this Good News to those who have not heard it or received it. He will pave a way for them to respond to the messenger, whether you are as reluctant as Jonah or not.

To be saved- as with Nineveh- we need to HEAR the promise of God and also RESPOND obediently to it. Responding in obedience means to follow His path (God’s path with instructions given to us in the Bible) toward right living (not OUR OWN path-what we think we should do– or the WORLD’s path-what everyone else is doing). 

When we do so we will be met with compassion, forgiveness, and mercy…just like Jonah and the city of Nineveh.

THAT is the lesson of Jonah.

My biggest fear could quite possibly be sharks in the hugeness of the ocean! The stories that are told of surviving  a plane crash or a boat sinking only to be left in the deep, dark water with sharks bumping into you are horrifying to me! Shark Week is a fearsome phenomena for me to watch!

In the ocean, there are other great unknowns….and the massive size of them are a wonder to my mind! I cannot comprehend how BIG a body of water is when a blue whale is small inside it (their average size is 79-82 feet long and they weigh over 300,000 lbs!!).

Did you know that there is estimated to be 10,000-25,000 blue whales alive today? The oceans are so big that we cannot even count all of them by site- and I doubt you could miss seeing one if it was there!

Jonah was not tossed into the Pacific Ocean but he did go into the Great Sea on his way to Tarshish…and it was there he sunk, waiting to drown in the storm- churned, darkened water when something from below, from the great, deep, unknown came up to swallow him.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

 For me, I don’t know if that is saving me or putting me into my worst nightmare!!

I would dare to surmise that Jonah may have felt the same! Remember, he did not know his whole story just yet- he had no clue of the ending. Jonah felt he deserved to die for disobeying God and perhaps thought God was going to go about it in an incredibly terrifyingly creative way.

This is exactly the spot where those two scriptures I keep mentioning need to be remember and applied:

1.

AND

2.

There are many stories in the Bible that speak of God talking through dreams or Jesus talking in parables- this is not one of those stories. It is placed in the Bible as a book that is written as a historical narrative- as if it happened. It does not begin with “Once Upon a Time” or as if it were a “Tall Tale”. There is nothing exaggerated or magically pretend about the story of Jonah- who was a real man that had been previously written about as prophet of God.

This story of Jonah has been written to teach us something, to rebuke or correct us into the ways of righteousness…let’s remember that as we enter into the belly of a fish…

What would you do if you were Jonah and this fish swallowed you?

He went into the water thinking he would drown and instead was swallowed whole by a fish. I imagine his first thoughts would be that he would still die…perhaps slowly now instead of the quick death he assumed would happen.

When death did not come…he prayed.

Wouldn’t you???

He is in the belly of a fish: he did not drown nor did he die! A miracle of all miracles has just occurred and the God he knows is behind it!

Jonah was thankful.

Prior to all this, life had been going pretty good for Jonah who, as a prophet,  had “the ear of a king”. He had a place of good standing, a good reputation, perhaps even a good lifestyle…in that time of comfort, he maybe forgot who GOD really was…

It is so easy to forget God when life just seems good, isn’t it?

BUT, in the belly of the fish, Jonah was kind of at his lowest point. Yes, he did not drown, but he did not exactly know what was going to become of him did he? He is in a fish in the middle of the ocean after all.

So, he did what was natural and turned to God.

Don’t we do that as well?

We may not pray every day or spend time reading our Bible consistently, but when we are about to take a test- we ask God for help. When someone is sick- we ask God for help. When we are scared- we pray and ask God for help.

It becomes an out of balanced relationship when we turn to God only in the hard times and not in the good times…But, God still hears and listens -just as He heard Jonah from within the whale…it’s just that  He desired more out of a relationship with Jonah, with us-one where Jonah could TRUST HIM fully with all of his life.

Jonah’s words say it all:

In Jonah’s supreme awareness of who God was and where his salvation had come from, he promised to do whatever it is the Lord required of him even if it meant staying in the whale- he was the Lord’s chosen servant after all!

Jonah is able to express his thanks to God for God being God while he is still at his lowest of all lows! Again, he has no clue what second miracle is about to occur- we have read the book and know the ending, he has no idea what is going to happen.

The challenge of this part of the passage is not that Jonah has survived and is sitting inside a fish, it is in his thankful attitude when he sees no change in his circumstance coming his way.

Can I offer that kind of thanks when my darkest moments feel like I am also doomed to an existence within a belly of a stinky whale- in a place where I feel trapped, confined, uncomfortable, scared? Or do I withhold my appreciation until the alleviation of my suffering?

After Jonah expresses his praise, this happens

AFTER JONAH TELLS GOD HOW THANKFUL HE IS THAT GOD HAS SAVED HIM-EVEN THOUGH HIS CIRCUMSTANCE HAD NOT CHANGED-THE LORD RELEASED HIM FROM THE FISH ONTO DRY LAND!

How many  times do I linger in my sorrow, my angst, my anxiety, my anger, my confusion, my self-doubt BEGGING  for a release?? How many times do I plead with the Lord TO TAKE THIS BURDEN FROM ME? Please Lord, lift this pain!

In those times, I am only focused on me…my pain…my problem…my discomfort…what I want…

The longer I sit in it the more I stew…and anger comes closer and closer to my heart.

Jesus also had an experience where He did not like what was asked of Him…He did not want to do what He had to do…It did not feel good to Him to anticipate the coming pain or to suffer exponentially as He did.

I know I have specifically said to God that “I don’t like this”, “I don’t want this”, and “it does not feel good to do this or not do that”.

Jesus even said “TAKE THIS CUP FROM ME”.

I know I have definitely pleaded for my trial and pain to be removed-for God to TAKE IT.

Ultimately, thankfully for all of our sakes, Jesus next said “Your will be done and not mine.”

God the Father’s will to be done….whatever that looks like…that’s what Jesus decided.

For Christ, it was being arrested falsely, abandoned by His friends, beaten and scourged, and then choosing to lay down to die the most horrific death possible- all while being separated from the love of the One who sent Him.

When Jonah chose to give thanks in the middle of his awful circumstance instead of asking to be removed from it, God released him.

The call to give thanks in all circumstances is very real.

Jesus did it- and He is our perfect example of which to follow.

Jonah did it- and he is our imperfect example of which to learn from.

Can I do it- and trust God to take care of me in the middle of my situation and to release me in His timing and way???

Remember~ Jonah was

from the whale.

He was not placed smoothly onto the shore. Instead, he was physically rejected and projected from within WITH EVERYTHING ELSE that had been inside there with him!

I doubt that was a pleasant experience.

Perhaps if he had given thanks a little sooner…there might be a life lesson in that…

Jonah is now on dry land…I imagine him being in absolute disbelief that this whole experience had just happened! He had to have stood up, shook the fish vomit off of himself, and looked around exclaiming

Then,

You better believe Jonah was listening!

Surprisingly, God next move was somewhat familiar:

Suddenly, we are back to square 1.

What on earth made me think I could actually teach this lesson in one sitting??

Jonah- Part 1 (blog posted on September 25,2017) only covered up to the Lord calling Jonah to go to Nineveh and Jonah refusing to go- feel free to read it catch up to where this story picks up today!

As we move into the more “unbelievable” part of this story it is VERY important to remember these two biblical truths:

1.

AND

2.

Off we go into the times of Jonah~

We pick our story up with Jonah choosing to go the complete opposite direction of where God had commanded him to go. He did not just choose to NOT do what God wanted him to and  simply stay put in his current vocation in Samaria, he decided he would rather leave his home and go somewhere completely new instead.

This brings up an interesting thought- walk with me down this little rabbit trail.

Has there been a situation where you know if you go a certain way you will be prompted to do something? You could go on your usual way of life, but doing so may make that “something” come to mind or be in your path. So, the next choice is to go a different way.

Sadly, a circumstance comes to my mind that could very well be a good example.

I go to work in the “big” city of Lansing. This means I drive to work a couple of times a week. Not only that, I also drive home when I am done. It is safe to say I drive the same road twice (not once) a day  a few times a week.

Lately, there are certain corners where panhandlers stand with signs asking for money or “help”. I know which  corners these are. I also know which side of the road they stand on most of the time and, therefore, which car lane is closest to them.

I am guilty of consciously choosing the farthest lane from that corner on many occasions. My excuse is that it is hard and uncomfortable to see them “beg” every day.

If I do not “see” them the problem does not exist, right?

I am guilty of choosing to turn down a different street just to avoid a certain corner.

This choice, therefore, relinquishes me from any guilty obligation to assist.

Does that sound familiar to anyone else or am I alone on this one???

I want to clarify that I am not a heartless monster who refuses to help others, but I am acutely aware of how much I feel I am unable to help. I am aware that it is the same person holding the sign at particular corner- day after day, even year after year- and I wonder why nothing has changed for him?

I wrestle with judgment and compassion on a regular basis.

Like Jonah, I too have turned and gone a different direction instead of helping those that God has placed in front of me.

To get to Tarshish, Jonah needs to get on a boat so he books his passage on a small vessel with a handful of sailors. What does he do next?

Jonah goes to sleep.

The next part of the story reveals why that is so interesting…

As we are told, the ship sets sail and a storm blows in! This is no ordinary storm, though! This is a ship-sinking storm! A whopper of a gale! A real doozy!

The ship is being tossed around in such a manner that the sailors were TERRIFIED they would lose their lives…yet Jonah slept.

If I have not mentioned it before, I LOVE all shows about Alaska! I am not biased toward any particular network – I will watch Discovery, National Geographic, whatever to catch my fill! One show I thoroughly enjoy is Deadliest Catch. This series is about crab fishermen who fish in the winter on the Bering Sea. They encounter storms with winds and waves that rival hurricane strength! When these fishing vessel’s start to ride these waves there is NO WAY any of the crew would be able to sleep!

It may not have been an icy Bering Sea that Jonah was sailing on, but the storm was big enough to destroy his ship causing the sailors to fear their impending death with Jonah catching some

How on earth is that possible?!

Jonah has just disobeyed God, right?

But, he was sleeping so soundly that one would question whether he felt any guilt about his choice at all??

I don’t know about you but when I am upset about something, when I have done something wrong, wronged somebody, or am anxious or worried sleeping is not something I can do very easily…

I know many people who can sleep through a storm – I am also not one of those people either! And neither is my dog!

My kind of storm, though, is experienced from the comfort of my home on  stationary ground: THERE ARE NO WAVES knocking me around and out of bed!

The waves of Jonah’s storm are tossing the boat around, smashing the cargo all over the place, roaring LOUD with the sounds of scared sailors screaming for help….

yet Jonah sleeps.

Jonah had no guilt over his choice to disobey God- he justified his actions with his belief system that Assyria was an enemy not worth saving instead of seeing those 120,000 souls that God created  in His own image- just like He did Jonah.

That’s like me choosing to be in a lane that keeps me out of reach of the panhandler. I justify the fact that I cannot help him because I cannot reach him in that moment. The justification makes me feel better.

I rest in the justifying thoughts I have to make me feel better as much as Jonah did. Jonah’s thoughts were simply that the Assyrians were evil and deserved no mercy…period. Jonah became the Judge and the Jury while looking away without seeing  the individuals he was condemning.

All the sailors cried out to any god they thought would hear them and help them! They were desperate and looking for help wherever they could find it! Suddenly ALL religion mattered if it meant they could survive this suffering! They were no longer religiously segregated or biased!

This spurned them on to wake up Jonah and encourage him to pray to his God to save them as well: one god is as good as any other, right?

When Jonah opened his eyes

his eyes were opened.

His God he had run from was making His presence known.

Remember, Jonah knew God. He knew how awesome and powerful God was. And now, he was seeing God with open eyes….how big God was…and how small he was in comparison.

Jonah cannot run nor hide any longer! God is standing in front of him and Jonah fears it is to settle a score.

Jonah believes that God is telling him that

Jonah confesses to the sailors who this God is that he worships and what it is that he has done against Him. He then, surprisingly, tells them to toss him overboard so they can live and the storm be silenced.

Here is this guy who just said that your very life is in jeopardy  because of a wrong he has committed and the solution is to sacrifice him so you can live. Could you do it?

The sailors couldn’t.

They wanted to show him mercy…show him, a complete stranger who just confessed a sin, mercy.

They decided to draw straws (essentially) and let God choose Jonah’s fate or the fate of the poor guy who drew the short straw.

Jonah lost.

To save the lives of a few men he did not know, Jonah willingly went into the water to die.

Jonah had compassion on them and wanted them to experience the mercy of His Lord.

Jonah went into the water.

The storm silenced above him.

The sailors lived and praised Jonah’s God.

 Jonah sank and waited to die.

Why would he think God would save him?

In his mind, do you think he thought he deserved saving?

And then, in the deep darkness, a large shadow appeared…

STAY TUNED FOR MORE IN PART 3

The Season for a Bible Study has come around again with the falling leaves!

The Lord put on my heart to host Bible Studies at my house for teenagers over a year ago. Thankfully, when He does this He also equips the person He has chosen for such a task with time and lessons to teach so she can do such a thing!

Unfortunately, not with cooler temperatures, though, here in Michigan!

This year, I have been inspired to share Bible Stories! My desire is to dig deep into stories we have all heard 1000 times- if you were raised in the church!

The movie Shrek had some great nuggets of knowledge in it and one could definitely pertain to the different stories in the Bible:

I am definitely NOT surmising that the Bible is like an Ogre…but more like the onion…with lots of layers!

I believe these two things to my very core about the Bible:

1. and
2. 

This means that nothing written in the Bible is random or by whim- no matter how unbelievable the story may seem!!

My husband, the beautiful bald man that he is, has chosen the story of Jonah to kick off the season!

DISCLAIMER:I do realize that I have already blogged about Jonah (see post from July 22, 2017!), but here is where the ONION comes in…the more you read the Bible the more it comes alive and cuts into you, training you, equipping you…It is a thing of Holy Spirit wonder!

My plan was to bust this story up into pieces and see what God had to show us! And, let me tell you, He sure showed me some things!!!

With no further introduction….I bring you Jonah.

For any good story to make sense, we must set the stage appropriately.

Jonah was a citizen of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (or otherwise known as the Kingdom of Samaria). The nation of Israel had split into two kingdoms (Northern Kingdom of Israel and Judah) in approximately 900 BCE. He was a prophet of God that gave counsel to the King of Samaria:

The Book of Jonah was written about 785-760 BC which was AFTER the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria (this occurred in 722 BCE).

This is an important fact to understand: check this out to clarify the timeline

Jonah was living a pretty decent life in conquered Samaria…although in captivity, the King of Samaria still held a position of ruling authority in their territory while still submitting to Assyrian rule. Jonah held a good position where he was known to the people and the king as a prophet of God- a man who God talked to, a man who prophesied on God’s behalf. He most likely was respected and comfortable in his calling.

And he hated the Assyrians.

The Assyrians had a reputation for absolute cruelty to those they conquered. They also had developed a taste for contempt and persecution toward those who worshipped God. They publically ridiculed and massacred those who believed in God- the Jews- for sport. They may have allowed the King of Samaria to remain on his throne but it was they who ruled. They flaunted their power in the faces of those they conquered.

Jonah saw this. He lived this reality. He may have been in a fairly good position in the people of Samaria’s eyes, but he was still a captive and his God was being ridiculed daily.

Jonah may have had friends and family killed, tortured, or imprisoned by the Assyrians. He saw the land promised to his people by God being desecrated by an enemy.

He hated the Assyrians.

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. This was the evil of all evil cities. If it was made to be the capital of an evil empire then Nineveh was the epicenter of all evil.

What does God do?

WHY ON EARTH WOULD HE WANT JONAH TO GO THERE???

Their wickedness has caught up to them.

Crap.

How bad is bad when that bad comes up before God where He can no longer tolerate it?

We all know Jonah’s response

Remember who I said Jonah was?

He was not just “some guy” that was told to do something!

Jonah was a prophet of God…he did miracles in God’s name, he heard the voice of God, he sat in the presence of God. God did not speak to just anyone in those days. Instead He CHOSE certain people to speak for Him, to act on His behalf. Jonah was one of a very select few men who had this honor to SPEAK FOR THE LORD.

Jonah KNEW God.

Jonah also knew how God would USE HIM to reach the people of Nineveh. This was not a mission of destruction, this was a mission of mercy and JONAH KNEW that because HE KNEW the character of GOD…of Yahweh.

Why did Jonah run?

He had no desire nor compassion to give any such message to a city of people he hated.

He had no desire to give them any chance at a shot of redemption from his God-the Creator.

That’s how much his hate consumed him. His hate was bigger than his relationship with God and trusting in what God would have him do. His hate hardened his heart.

It is very important to remember

Jonah chose to not only run the opposite direction from Nineveh but also to run the opposite direction from the God he knew and served.

Choosing to stay with hate in the heart clouds the clarity of vision. It keeps you from seeing what is good all around you. It keeps you from sensing the presence of God.

Jonah did not run from the situation because it seemed too hard a task….he ran because he did not want to take a chance on the outcome God desired for these people.

Ouch.

Have you ever thought of a tough situation and thought you could do something in it- the right thing or a good thing- and didn’t do it…blaming it on the idea that you can’t, its too hard, you don’t have the time, or frankly you just don’t want to do it?

Here’s the crux with Jonah Part 1: Jonah did not want to do what God told him to do because he did not care enough for those people to do it.

Yes, he was a prophet of God but he did not agree with the heart of God. If he did, he would have gone to Nineveh.

We may say we are followers of God, believers of Jesus…but if we are not doing what He asks of us then is it possible to say that we too do not agree with the heart of God?

JESUS CAME TO US AND GAVE US THE

HE SAID

IT LOOKS LIKE THIS:

Do we do it? Or are we wanting to sit in our comfortable “kingdom”, talking to the king of our world, where people respect us, and those who are impacted by our life and our message are the ones WE CHOOSE to be worthy of it?

Do you run like Jonah?

OR WILL YOU CONSIDER THAT

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Isn’t Facebook fantastic?? That Mark Zuckerberg is one smart cookie! It’s a wonderful tool to share pictures, stories, call internationally, stay in touch or even reconnect!

Today, I was reminded of the power of Facebook through its “memories”. What an ingenious idea to remind you what you shared a year ago or even 9 years ago on this particular date!

For me, today, I saw this memory from 2010:

It was nice to dream of her finally last night…It was good to hear it wasn’t my fault and to hold her hand one more time….still hard to believe so much has time has past and so much has changed…bittersweet this morning but actually…maybe…heaver on the sweet.

This memory was a month after the first anniversary of my sister in law’s death.

In the calendar year that had followed her death I became a new person…After a losing battle with despair, I sought help for my sorrow and confusion. In my seeking, I found Jesus waiting to comfort and heal me.

In that calendar year I chose to make the journey through my grief to get to the other side of it….

That choice paved the way for this dream that finally lifted the last of my guilt that I failed her. I was finally in a place where I could receive it as the gift it was.

Better than Facebook, God uses His Word and other sources to continue to remind me of how truly far I have come:

Jesus Calling September 23 (italic emphasis by me)

“Walk with me in the freedom of forgiveness. The path we follow together is sometimes steep and slippery (my path included a social escape from alcohol, my sons health, and marital difficulties). If you carry a burden of guilt on your back, you are more likely to stumble and fall (my burden was a fear of continuing to fail those I loved). At your request, I will remove the heavy load from you and bury it at the foot of the cross (see my blog from September 21). When I unburden you, you are undeniably free! Stand up straight and tall in My presence, so that no one can place more burdens on your back. Look into My Face and feel the warmth of My Love-Light shining upon you. It is this unconditional Love that frees you from both fears and sins. Spend time basking in the Light of My Presence. As you come to know me more and more intimately, you grow increasingly free.”

I read those words on the same day I saw this Facebook memory for the first time in 2015. I was able to write that I was forgiven and that I knew I had really let her go into the  Father’s hands.

But it gets better- because that is just how GOOD God is…a SECOND devotional writes these words on the SAME date:

The 365 Most Important Bible Passages for Mothers September 23

(emphasis mine including visual picture choices)

“God didn’t want them to lose hope that the good things he had promised would happen. the heartwarming predictions in this passage are a hopeful song that god offers to anyone who needs a reminder that times of difficulty don’t have to predict the future…He sings the song of a new day over you. He sings the song of new possibility. He sings the song of unfailing love. He wants you to share his belief that good things will happen again. He makes promises that only he can keep. Let his song of promise give you new reasons for hope.”

In the 7 years since I first wrote this Facebook post I have realized that my difficult times DID NOT predict my future– a future that has me waiting for a handful of teenagers to come over on a hot Saturday night to fellowship and study the Word. I have seen the exciting new possibilities that a life with God offers! I have seen good things happen again and again! God has shown me reasons for hope!

God is NOT done with this date! He now uses a THIRD devotional to drive His points of forgiveness, grace, and mercy home for me!

Jesus Always September 23 (emphasis mine again)

“I know you sometimes feel as weak and helpless as a bent reed or a faintly burning flame. Accept your weakness and brokenness, beloved; let them open your heart to Me. You can be fully yourself with Me because I understand you perfectly. As you tell Me your troubles, I refresh you and offer you Peace that surpasses all understanding. Instead of trying to figure it all out (which is what I consistently try to do!), lean on Me in confident trust. Go off duty for a while, trusting that I’m watching over you and working on your behalf. My healing work within in you is most effective when you are resting in My watchful care.”

What God does for me is open for everyone…that is the beauty of a relationship with the Lord. He does not discriminate…only loves.