Jonah....another who fled the presence of the Lord
It never ceases to amaze me how God dovetails scripture verses, songs and hymns, our experiences, our prayers in our lives with other things that further teach, encourage, convict or affirm us. Or all of the above!
This happened to me this morning at church. Our preacher started today taking us through the book of Jonah. It was an excellent sermon in which many things I never realized or thought of were illustrated..
In a previous blog of mine (January 31, 2013, "Be Real.....come into my kitchen") I mentioned some of the same things he did this morning though I was not talking about Jonah nor was our preacher talking about being real or my kitchen!
We both gave examples of biblical characters who fled from the presence of the Lord because of their sin. This of course is folly. And he gave the example, as I did, of a child who pulls a blanket over his head believing he cannot be seen simply because he cannot see others. God always sees us even if we hide----no matter in what way we hide. We both touched on keeping our eyes on Christ. The similarities amazed me and made me think more deeply on the subject.
I'd like to share what he continued to preach. Please take this as me sharing what our preacher taught this morning from God's Word, not me preaching to you. Think of me as a friend sharing an amazing sermon and what I learned from it. Thank you.
Our preacher told us that God sent a storm that sorely rocked the ship that Jonah was on as he fled the presence of God. The mariners in the ship were very afraid. Jonah was fast asleep, one assumes, below deck. The crew prayed to "...their gods..." and began to throw things overboard to lighten their load hoping that would help. Neither helped. The men, after the captain spoke to Jonah and also asked him to pray to his God, the one true God, decided that they would cast lots (a common practice, like drawing straws, at the time) to try to find out what was the reason for the storm which threatened their very lives. Because the lot fell to Jonah and because of his confession, the crew knew it was because of Jonah's fleeing God's presence that God sent the storm. They became even more afraid. At Jonah's suggestion, and after even the crew started praying to God and still fighting the storm to get to land (not wanting to have Jonah's blood on their hands), Jonah was tossed overboard at which moment the sea was totally calmed. The crew became even more frightened and made a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows.(Jonah 1:6-16)
Meanwhile, God sent a "great fish" to swallow up Jonah and eventually deposit him on dry land near where God told him to go in the first place. Jonah was in the belly of the "fish" three days and three nights. He describes what this was like and how he eventually came to the end of his rope as we might say today, and then remembered God.
Storms of life, trials, our preacher said, are not always because of sin and we should not always jump to that conclusion when we find ourselves or someone else in a trial. But they are often to teach and exercise us to make us more like Christ (and of course even if they are sent for sin they teach and exercise us.) But sometimes they are because of our sin and they affect not only us, but others. Just as the storm God sent to affect Jonah put the lives of the ship's crew in danger. Our sin can do this also. And others' sins can put us in danger. If you want to know more, read more in Jonah. I can't wait to hear next Lord's Day's message from chapters 3 and 4!
These are admittedly hard times. Times may get harder or easier. We do not know. We can neither comprehend nor know ahead of time God's providential workings or the reasons why He does what He does. He does what pleases Him for His eternal purposes and glorification and our eternal good. God will be with us in the storms of life---in the little things and the really big things. Often we, like Jonah, must reach the ends of our ropes before we cry out to the Lord.
I used to think that if I didn't stay smiling and uncomplaining through a trial but gave up and called on God begging for help, I had failed. I used to think that I had failed the "test" and so God would have to bring another trial upon me, over and over until I "passsed" it. Yet, oddly I experienced that every time I got to the end of that rope, broke down and gave up, God would take over and things would fall into place and then be over or at least better. In deeper trials things do not just fall into place and end, but may last a lifetime. But even then, we know He is with us and understands. He comforts, teaches, mourns with us, strengthens us and sees us through all our trials. What great comfort that brings.
So, when storms rage seek refuge in the Lord. Do not flee from His presence. Do not rebel against Him. Only in His presence can we experience the peace and yes, even joy, of the Lord and His strength in us to weather the storms of life.
And as our preacher ended our worship with this passage, so do I end this blog with the same:
"...thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15: 57 and 58.
In a previous blog of mine (January 31, 2013, "Be Real.....come into my kitchen") I mentioned some of the same things he did this morning though I was not talking about Jonah nor was our preacher talking about being real or my kitchen!
We both gave examples of biblical characters who fled from the presence of the Lord because of their sin. This of course is folly. And he gave the example, as I did, of a child who pulls a blanket over his head believing he cannot be seen simply because he cannot see others. God always sees us even if we hide----no matter in what way we hide. We both touched on keeping our eyes on Christ. The similarities amazed me and made me think more deeply on the subject.
I'd like to share what he continued to preach. Please take this as me sharing what our preacher taught this morning from God's Word, not me preaching to you. Think of me as a friend sharing an amazing sermon and what I learned from it. Thank you.
Our preacher told us that God sent a storm that sorely rocked the ship that Jonah was on as he fled the presence of God. The mariners in the ship were very afraid. Jonah was fast asleep, one assumes, below deck. The crew prayed to "...their gods..." and began to throw things overboard to lighten their load hoping that would help. Neither helped. The men, after the captain spoke to Jonah and also asked him to pray to his God, the one true God, decided that they would cast lots (a common practice, like drawing straws, at the time) to try to find out what was the reason for the storm which threatened their very lives. Because the lot fell to Jonah and because of his confession, the crew knew it was because of Jonah's fleeing God's presence that God sent the storm. They became even more afraid. At Jonah's suggestion, and after even the crew started praying to God and still fighting the storm to get to land (not wanting to have Jonah's blood on their hands), Jonah was tossed overboard at which moment the sea was totally calmed. The crew became even more frightened and made a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows.(Jonah 1:6-16)
Meanwhile, God sent a "great fish" to swallow up Jonah and eventually deposit him on dry land near where God told him to go in the first place. Jonah was in the belly of the "fish" three days and three nights. He describes what this was like and how he eventually came to the end of his rope as we might say today, and then remembered God.
Storms of life, trials, our preacher said, are not always because of sin and we should not always jump to that conclusion when we find ourselves or someone else in a trial. But they are often to teach and exercise us to make us more like Christ (and of course even if they are sent for sin they teach and exercise us.) But sometimes they are because of our sin and they affect not only us, but others. Just as the storm God sent to affect Jonah put the lives of the ship's crew in danger. Our sin can do this also. And others' sins can put us in danger. If you want to know more, read more in Jonah. I can't wait to hear next Lord's Day's message from chapters 3 and 4!
These are admittedly hard times. Times may get harder or easier. We do not know. We can neither comprehend nor know ahead of time God's providential workings or the reasons why He does what He does. He does what pleases Him for His eternal purposes and glorification and our eternal good. God will be with us in the storms of life---in the little things and the really big things. Often we, like Jonah, must reach the ends of our ropes before we cry out to the Lord.
I used to think that if I didn't stay smiling and uncomplaining through a trial but gave up and called on God begging for help, I had failed. I used to think that I had failed the "test" and so God would have to bring another trial upon me, over and over until I "passsed" it. Yet, oddly I experienced that every time I got to the end of that rope, broke down and gave up, God would take over and things would fall into place and then be over or at least better. In deeper trials things do not just fall into place and end, but may last a lifetime. But even then, we know He is with us and understands. He comforts, teaches, mourns with us, strengthens us and sees us through all our trials. What great comfort that brings.
So, when storms rage seek refuge in the Lord. Do not flee from His presence. Do not rebel against Him. Only in His presence can we experience the peace and yes, even joy, of the Lord and His strength in us to weather the storms of life.
And as our preacher ended our worship with this passage, so do I end this blog with the same:
"...thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15: 57 and 58.
