Author: michael

Final thoughts before we leave Jonah son of Amittai…

Jonah wanted to serve God.

On Jonah’s terms.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is portrayed in many ways in Scripture.

We are servant, disciple, ambassador, friend, brother, child, bride.

Never—not once—contract employee.

A contract employee signs an agreement to do a specified job for a specified amount of pay.  Employer and employee negotiate over duties and payment, and the employee is not expected to perform any tasks not detailed in the negotiations.

“Sorry,” he can say, “That’s not in my contract.”

The Lord of the Universe doesn’t work that way.

He’s not interested in negotiation—only surrender.

Utter, complete obedience and submission, whether you understand what he’s doing or not.  Whether you like what he’s doing or not.  It sounds harsh, and I wouldn’t recommend it with anyone else but the One who gave his only son, that if you trust him you shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

So once again, we find ourselves at the question: Do you trust him, Beloved?

Submit boldly today.  Kneel tall, and surrender at the top of your lungs.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

The Lord said, “You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow…but Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well.  Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (Jonah 4:10-11)

Ouch.

Sometimes, it’s just too much for me.

The heart of God, I mean.

My world is so small, the things that affect me so close, I forget that God cares about the whole world.

All of it.

Even the cows.

I am important to him, yes.

So very important.

But so are the others.

There are, quite literally, millions upon millions of people out there who are living without Christ, who don’t know right from wrong because they have never been introduced to Truth.

And my biggest worry today is how I’m going to get to Costco and the DMV after work and still have time to deal with the pile of tree branches in my yard.

I’ve always wondered what Jonah’s response to God’s question was.  Did getting a peek into the scope of God’s love change his perspective?

Does it change mine?

Happy Monday, Beloved.

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” 

“I do,” he said. “I am angry enough to die.”  (Jonah 4:9)

Wow, Jonah

Childish, much?

Look, I’d love to say that I can’t identify with Jonah at all here, that I’ve never been whiny and self-righteous and small before the Lord.

But He knows better.

And, probably, so do you.

What amazes me at this point in the story is God’s reaction. He reasons with Jonah, talks him off the ledge. Frankly, after all of Jonah’s lip and disobedience I would likely say, “You got it, kid!” and reduce him to a pile of fish-smelling ashes.

Let’s call it Reason #8635 to be glad I’m not God, and give a loud Huzzah for mercy.

Happy Friday, Beloved.

But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?” (Jonah 4:9). 

God has asked Jonah this before.

It’s a good question…and a good reminder.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised. “

That quote was from Job, a man who knew a thing or three about suffering. 

Job understood.

Jonah, not so much.

And what of you, Beloved of Christ? Do you have a right to be angry over the wrongs, the slights, the misfortunes and mistreatments of life? Or do you recognize that everything–everything–has its place in God’s design? 

Trust and Obey–two of the toughest tasks we’ll ever encounter.

But the reward is pretty nifty.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Jonah wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 4:8).

Have you been there, Beloved?

Before we write Jonah off as overly dramatic, can you identify with him? Have you ever been in a place where your outward circumstances and your inward turmoil were just too much, and you wanted it all to be done? 

Well, then.

I don’t know what got you out of that place, or if you are out of that place. All I can point out is that the more Jonah focused on his circumstances, his desires, and what he saw as the proper outcome, the more frustrated and disappointed and angry he got. In fact, the only time in this narrative that Jonah seems truly at peace is when he abandons any sense of his own righteousness or understanding and focuses entirely on the mercy of God. 

And that happened, oddly enough, in the belly of the fish.

Go figure.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Then the Lord God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah…and Jonah was very happy about the vine.  But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered.  When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint (Jonah 4:6-8).

A vine, a worm, a scorching wind.

Wow, gee…thanks God.

Notice the repetition.  God provided…God provided…God provided.  Delightful vine and icky worm and painful wind, it all came from Him.

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time for the “Truth You Didn’t Wanna Hear Show.”  And here’s your host…Michael!

Provision isn’t about what you think you want.

It’s about what God knows you need.

I know you didn’t wanna hear that…hence the name of my imaginary show.

But it’s true. 

Do you trust God, Beloved?  Do you believe that what he provides will be good and right and exactly what you need, even if it looks like a worm?

Do I?

I hope so, for both of us.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)

Leave it to God to get right to the heart of the issue.

I mean, seriously.  Who was Jonah to get so self-righteous and uptight?  I love the fact that God does not engage Jonah on the relative merits of the Ninevitian repentance, because that’s not the issue.

The issue is the nature of God.

Is God responsible to us?  Is he required to answer our questions or fulfill our expectations?

Or is he Lord of the Universe, Almighty God, creator and ruler of all, beholden to none?

How easily we forget.

And by “We,” I mean, you know…me.

Beloved, when it comes right down to it, we are a lot closer to the Ninevites’ level than to God’s.  If we really push for justice over grace, we will not be pleased with the outcome.

Trust me—if the Justice whale drops, we are all in the splash zone.

Happy Monday, Beloved.