So we pick up in chapter two where we find our friend Jonah crying out to God from inside of a great fish. He finds himself in a time of arrest. A time where God has actually spared his life from the sea's waves, but still faces difficult choices to return to God. It is a time of repentance, and trust.
God sent this fish to spare Jonah's life, and not let him drown in the ocean. This gives us an idea of what it's like when God sees something in us that is jacked up. He will spare us and forgive us, but that doesn't mean things will immediately be easy again. God's judgment is far better than falling to the consequences of sin. Often, God's judgment is actually mercy, if you knew the consequence of sin.
So, as you read this chapter be reminded how God is with us through any situation, even when there is terrible stuff in us. He wants to cleanse and bring us to the point repentance, just as He did with Jonah. Also, sometimes God allows us to go through difficult times to let us know that he is serious about getting to us.
Take some time to examine yourself. Have you been dodging God because of the shame of something, or have you just been running away from who He wants you to be? Find out what boat you're on, cuz if it's the wrong one, you're probably gonna get tossed off.
-fonzi
Friday, April 23, 2010
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This is a great chapter because it shows the mercy of our God. The verse that stood out to me is Jonah 2:4 "Then i said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple". To me that means that even though we lose sight of God,for however long, He will be waiting when we are ready to come back to Him. No matter how far we stray from the path He well be right there to guide us back onto it.
ReplyDeleteWoah, this whole chapter can be applied to things we go through everyday! Going through something rough, we can basically 'pray this to God': "When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD" Even when crap is happening, we can "look again toward thy holy temple" This is harder to do: To thank God for His deliverance, even when we can't see it, instead of wallowing in self-pity. . .
ReplyDelete-Joshua
This chapter just shows that the Lord will always find a way to lead you back to him. Even in your worst of times when you lose all faith in God he will find a way to bring you back to your faith and He will be there waiting. No matter how many times or how long you stray you can always find God on the other side waiting to guide you to the right path.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie
Jonah admitted how he had sinned and how desparate things had become for him, but he still asked God for help.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of something my mom tells me on an (almost) daily basis: "No matter what you do, or how bad you mess up, you can ALWAYS come home."
I very much believe this applies even more to God. He will always love you and forgive you when you really ask Him too. this is nothing you can do to change that.
For evidence, just look at the thief of the corss or Saul/Paul.