let me start...
Notes taken from my archive in my email.
Storms, Saints,
and Sinners
The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai,
saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against
it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.' But Jonah arose to
flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3
NKJV)
Jonah does what we must never do--he rebels against God's calling
on his life. Rather than go to Nineveh as he was commanded, Jonah
goes in the opposite direction and heads for Tarshish. This is like
someone living in Detroit being called to Washington D.C. but going
to San Francisco instead. Jonah's actions reveal that he despised
his calling and couldn't get far enough from it. But as Jonah's
journey will show us in the days ahead, the Lord has ways of
getting our attention when we don't heed His call.
God can use storms to keep us from continuing down the path of
disobedience. Have you ever had one of those days where everything
seems to be working against you? Perhaps you hit every red light,
you can't find your wallet, the battery on your watch dies, and so
on. To quote a phrase, it seems as though 'all hell has broken
loose.' It isn't hell; it's heaven as God sends stormy
circumstances to slow you down. He can also use saints to stop you
from following a corrupt course. Maybe you're at the movie theater
and you run into someone from church just before you buy a ticket
to a film you've got no business seeing. It's all a part of God's
plan to get you back on track. And sometimes the Lord will send a
sinner into your life to remind you of how miserable it is to be
outside His will and to warn you of what's around the corner.
Look at your life. Are you heading in the opposite direction of
God's will for you? Is He sending storms, saints, or sinners your
way? Learn from Jonah's mistake and stay on course with what God
has called you to do.
DIG - What will God do to get our attention?
DISCOVER - When has God sent you a storm, saint, or sinner to get
your attention?
DISPLAY - Ask God to give you the strength to stay on course.
This Bible Study was prepared by Pastor Bob Coy of The Active
Word.
God Bless,
