Tuesday's Thoughts ~ A Whale of a Tale

You may have guessed it . . . I've been reading about the life of Jonah this past week.  Oh, how I love Jonah, because he is so like us.  Gotta love it ~ he hears God's voice and instructions and runs the opposite way.  Sound familiar?

"One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”"

Jonah gets a word from God telling him to go to the Ninevites and preach to them - calling them to repentance.  I'm pretty sure that Jonah said, "WHAT!  Are you kidding me?"  The Ninevites were a hated group among the Jews.  They were a pagan people who were not neutral about the Jews and their God - but were hostile to both.  They were the last people that Jonah would choose to be among.

Who do you think is beyond salvation?  

Who is too wicked to deserve it?

"But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from God as he could get. "

Jonah finds an easy out where all the pieces seem to fall together.
     *he went to Joppa
     *he found a ship sailing to Tarshish (opposite direction of Nineveh)
     *he had the money for the fare and was able to board the ship

BUT ~ he was fleeing the presence of the Lord.

Psalm 139 says, 
"Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
    to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
    If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
    to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
    you’re already there waiting!

Bad plan on so many fronts! 

Is there something that the Lord has 

asked you to do and you have not done it?

Are you running toward Him or 

away from Him?

A storm hits and everyone is afraid.  Now we have Jonah's sin impacting the lives of others.

Our sin ALWAYS impacts others . . . ALWAYS.

In a moment of selflessness, Jonah says, "Throw me overboard."  The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah and he is in the belly of this fish for 3 days and 3 nights. What an unusual place for reflection - but that is exactly what Jonah does.  

 He prays . . . he repents . . . and vomit becomes his best friend.

"Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore."

Jonah now decides to be obedient. He goes to Nineveh and proclaims God's Word of judgment.  The people responded with repentance and God spared the city.

Jonah, however, was NOT happy.

               He was displeased.

                           He was pouty.

                                         He was prideful.

God called him on it.

We don't really know what Jonah did in response to God's admonishment.  I would assume he listened to God and repented.  Jesus even refers to Jonah and the repentant Ninevites in Luke 11.  I suppose it is a story with an lasting impact!

As I thought about this story, I asked myself a few more questions.

How do I react when the Lord brings 

conviction in my life?

Am I willing to do an about face?

Do I have God's heart for others?

Is my heart in line with His? or do i think 

some people just deserve it?

I would like to be less Jonah-like and more Jesus-like.  I want to respond with obedience when I hear God's instructions.  I want to see people the way God sees them - each one worthy of His grace and salvation.  I want to be useful to God in His kingdom plans.

I really don't want to end up in the belly of a whale.

Now that's a whale of a tale.