A Life Worthy

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened (Jonah 3:10).

They didn’t deserve it.

Mercy, I mean.

A little sackcloth and a few skipped meals hardly make up for generations of wickedness.

And yet, that is the very nature of mercy.  God was willing to see beyond their sin, to look at hearts that, however briefly, recognized their evil and turned to him.

He sent Jonah because he wanted to forgive the Ninevites.  He was looking for a reason.  I don’t know why he would want to forgive them.

But then, I don’t know why he would want to forgive me.

And forgiving me cost him ever so much more than forgiving the city of Nineveh.

You know what I mean, Beloved?

Yes, you do.

Happy Monday.

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time…Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-2).

A God of second chances—that’s who we serve, Baby.

After all the grief that Jonah caused, after the arrogance he showed, after the downright in-your-face disobedience he displayed toward the Lord of the Universe, God gave him a second chance.  And not just forgiveness—a second chance to serve, to be His instrument on Earth. God could have ditched Jonah and called someone else, but he didn’t. Because Jonah was every bit as important to God as the people he was sent to warn.

Frankly, I probably would have left him in the fish.

Call it reason #3,874 to be glad I am not God.

OK Beloved, so maybe you’ve messed up along the way.  You’ve been disobedient, you’ve had to face God’s discipline.

That does not mean that you are through.  Your mission still awaits you. Your Lord still calls.

There’s the road, kid.

Start walking.

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” (Jonah 2:8)

What do you cling to, Beloved?

Who do you trust?

God, of course!

And…?

Yeah, it’s the “And” that gets me, too.

Look, I know you don’t worship stuffed animals or pray to little porcelain figurines.

Please

But that doesn’t mean you don’t have idols.  And those idols, those things that you trust instead of trusting God, they get in the way. You see, you have to choose who you’re going to trust.  The Lord of the Universe is not big on sharing power. If you insist that you can make it on your own, he’s likely to let you.

And you’ve been down that road before.

Your strength, your money, your intelligence, your looks, your ability to make a really great chicken salad—enjoy them.  Use them wisely, and glorify God with them.

But don’t cling to them.

Don’t forfeit grace.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

He said, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.”  (Jonah 2:2)

Do you remember, Beloved?

Do you remember when you called out to him?

Do you remember the pit—so dark, so deep?

The despair was palpable.

The sorrow tangible.

But he answered.

He listened.

Do you remember?

Let this be a day of remembrance, Beloved.  Drink deep of the memory. Let it roll around in your heart.  Taste its fullness. Then let it sink deep into your spirit, to refresh and sustain you.

Now you can look Today square in the eye.

Walk in confidence, Beloved.

Happy Friday

Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm…But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights  (Jonah 1:15-17).

Was it real?  Is Scripture literal here?

Well, the theotechnical answer would be…yeppers.

In Matthew 12, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Yeah, so, apparently Jesus believed it.

That’ll work for me.

What amazes me—apart from, you know, being in a fish for three days and living to tell the tale (tail?)—is that God provided rescue in the midst of discipline.  I mean, God could have let Jonah drown—he deserved it—and then raised up someone else to preach to the Ninevites. But God’s message of judgment, repentance, and mercy was played out in Jonah’s life before he ever even got to Nineveh.

Also worth noting is that Jonah did not experience that provision—that grace—until he accepted responsibility for his sin and stepped out in faith and obedience.  Perhaps the fish was there the entire time, but Jonah didn’t see it until he hit the water.

Last thought: did you notice that Jonah did not throw himself into the sea?  He knew what needed to be done, and he was willing, but it seems that the idea of leaping into the raging storm was a little much for him.  Spirit willing, flesh weak—that sort of thing. I’m kinda glad about that.

It makes me think that there may be hope for us yet.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.