12.14.7 "What's it all about anyway?"

"What's it all about anyway?"

Jonah 1:1-4:11
Revelation 5:1-14
Psalm 133:1-3
Proverbs 29:26-27

The story of Jonah is an interesting story. Because it's one we've heard as kids, we can kind of gloss over it with a "yeah, I've heard that before" thought going through our mind. The great thing about the Spirit of God is that he brings out different flavors for us each time we read his word. Here's a few points from today's reading.

The first thing is in verse 2. God calls Jonah: "Go to the great city of Nineveh, and give them this announcement from the Lord: 'I am going to destroy you, for your wickedness rises before me; it smells to highest heaven.'" I find it interesting that our sin stinks to "highest heaven".

We all know what happens next. "But Jonah was afraid to go and ran away from the Lord." There's something I had never connected in the years I had heard it. I thought it was merely that he was chicken. Yes, it says he was "afraid to go", but we find out the real reason in chapter 4:2 "This is exactly what I thought you'd do, Lord, when I was there in my own country and you first told me to come here. That's why I ran away to Tarshish. For I knew you were a gracious God, merciful, slow to get angry, and full of kindness; I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people."

You talk about a stinky attitude! He didn't want to be proven wrong with his prophecy. in 4:3 he says, "Please kill me, Lord; I'd rather be dead than alive [when nothing that I told them happens]."

Jonah's big problem? It's all about him. He's living his life as if God's direction is for the benefit of his comfort or reputation. Good thing we're not that way? Right?

What about when God gives us direction? Is it about what he wants to accomplish, or is it about us? We think Jonah's so bad in his decision making. We think we would never do that, but in little things we don't follow God's leading. Why? because it doesn't fit into our comfort zone? Because we don't think the results will be the way WE think they should?

When you think of being 3 days & nights in a belly of the whale, we think of the big open cavern like Pinnochio was in. If you've ever cleaned a fish, you know it's not like that. It's a cramped, stinky place. That's what it took to bring Jonah to obedience. He cries out to God.

It brought him to obedience, but his character "shone" through at the end with his attitude. His conduct was obedient, but his heart was selfish.

What do you think God wants of us? He wants obedience with an attitude of worship. We are not responsible for the results of obedience. That's his part. We may think we are involved in something for the purpose of affecting great change. That may not be his plan. He may just have us in something just for the purpose of refining our character, or leading someone to Christ.

Either way, the important thing is that we must be obedient. It's NOT about you! It's about what God wants to do, in you, and through you!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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