God Thoughts January 2, 2019

God Thoughts January 2, 2019

Thoughts from Peter Scazzero's book Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day.  

Scripture: Jonah 1:1-4 NIV

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 

Devotional

Jonah is an example of a prophet with a case of emotionally unhealthy spirituality.  He hears and serves God but refuses to listen to God's call to love and show mercy to Ninevah, a world power known for it's violent, barbaric behavior.  Jonah flees 2,400 miles in the opposite direction, to Tarshish, in present-day Spain.

" And why Tarshish? For one thing, it is a lot more exciting than Nineveh.  Nineveh was an ancient site with layer after layer of ruined and unhappy history.  Going to Nineveh to preach was not a coveted assignment for a Hebrew prophet with good references.  But Tarshish was something else.  Tarshish was exotic.  Tarshish was adventure. . .Tarshish in the Biblical references was a "far off and sometimes idealized port."  It is reported in 1 Kings 10:22 that Solomon's fleet of Tarshish fetched gold, silver, ivory, monkeys and peacocks. . . In Tarshish we can have a religious career without having to deal with God.  Eugene Peterson, under the unpredictable plant: an exploration in vocational holiness. (Grand Rapids:Eerdmans, 1992). 15-16

As Jonah runs, However, God sends a great storm.  Jonah loses control of his life and destiny.  He is thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish.  It is from the belly of the fish that Jonah begins to wrestle with God in prayer.

Question to  Consider

What internal or external storm might God be sending into your life as a sign that something is not right spiritually?

Prayer

Lord, may your will, not my will, be done in my life.  You know how easy it is to call myself a Christian but then become busy, forgetting about your will and desires.  Forgive me for this sin.  Help me listen to you, and grant me the courage to faithfully surrender to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)