Why Telling God "No" is a Bad Thing: Jonah 1

 How many times have you and I told God "no" when it comes to making a decision in life? These decisions may involve decisions based on a mission trip, Church position, financial decision, who to date/marry decision, etc. If choosing out of your own wisdom, sometimes these decisions can take bad turns and end up costing you something or someone. God gives us the opportunity to come to Him and ask Him for guidance and direction and when/if given, if you don't heed, there could be consequences. Take a look at Jonah's life story for just a moment.

Jonah 1:1-3  says,

"Now 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. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord."

Obviously, when reading this story, you and I can concur that it wasn't very wise for Jonah to tell the God of the universe NO. Obviously, all we have here is not a verbal "no" but a physical "no." Apparently, Jonah thought he could just run away from God and not get caught but in this next verse you will see how far that act got him. 

Jonah 1:4 says, 

^"But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up."

The word "tempest" literally means "a violent storm." God wasn't playing around. Billy Graham puts it eloquently when he said,

                          Jonah 1:4 tells us, “The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea 
                          and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was 
                          about to break up.” I’ve noticed that if I leave the intimate 
                          presence of God, there’s more trouble for me outside His 
                          presence than in it. That was Jonah’s experience, too. The 
                          ship was caught in a great storm, and the crew cast lots to 
                          discover who was to blame. The lot fell to Jonah, and they 
                          dealt with the problem by tossing him overboard.

The rest of this episode goes on as follows in verses 5-17:
   
"Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.  So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?” for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." 

Billy Graham described Jonah as a prodigal son of God. He put it best when he said, "God didn’t give up on Jonah. God prepared a massive sea creature to swallow His prophet and save him. This is a prime example of God’s grace in the life of someone who was wasting his relationship with God."

Of course, any of you who grew up in church, already know this story from Sunday school but it still applies to our lives today. God is here to rescue us and He saves us for a special purpose in life. The wisest thing we can do as His children, is to just say YES. He wouldn't call you to do something or lead you on a certain path if He didn't already have it worked out for your own good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." We should also not lose the point of why God wanted to use Jonah. Not only was it for Jonah, it was for the people living in Nineveh. God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to tell them about who He was and the consequence of what would happen if they didn't repent of their wicked ways. So, the next time God speaks to you and asks you to do something, what would be the wisest thing to do? He is still alive and well and is working in your life. Granted, He is God and He will receive glory regardless of our stubborn attitudes, but He also gives us the opportunity to perform tasks for Him so that we may grow in grace and knowledge of who He is. Just close your eyes, relax, and say, "Yes, Lord. Lead me where You want me to go, direct me on the right path, and help me to be ready and available for you on a moment's notice." I promise, if you listen to Him, He will bless you for obeying. It will be the best decision of your life.







 




 

 

The Great Adventure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFPjIp6nkk

Anyone recognize this picture?! I do! I do! It was in 1992 and I was 6 years old! Granted, I didn't hear this song until I was around 9-10? BUT, I do remember how fun and exciting it sounded. I wasn't raised in a Christian home, but I do remember that this CD was given to me as a gift by a Christian couple. It was my first Christian song that I had ever been exposed to and I liked it! I remember dancing and singing to it in our living room in our home in Xenia. It pumped me up and although I didn't understand the lyrics, it still made me feel good inside. One part of the song that has always stuck out to me were these words:

"Let's follow our Leader
Into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other
This is the great adventure..."

"Into the glorious unknown..." That part baffled me. I didn't know what he meant by that, but looking back at it now, I see the connection. Being in a home that didn't practice Christianity, I knew someone was watching over me. I wanted something different. Something or Someone to fill a void in my life. I heard the name "God", but didn't know who He was. I didn't know anything about His Son or what He had done for me and God knew that. With a humble and grateful heart, I see the connection now. I pictured myself alone and allowing bad things to happen to me while picturing God sending an Angel to stand behind me, comforting me from the beatings and words of disdain from an alcoholic mother who was doing the only thing she knew how to do (I'll save my testimony for the next blog). The point is, is that even though I knew life was hard, there was a voice inside telling me that it was going to be okay. God took me out of a bad situation and "into the glorious unknown." I don't care that I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. The Bible says,

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 

Not only do I take this verse literal, I take them all literal. I trust God with what He says and apply those words to my life. How glorious is it to know, that every single day is another opportunity for a great adventure with the Lord by your side? Let Him guide you on every decision you make. Let Him hold you when you feel afraid. Let Him be God. Enjoy every day with a smile on your face, a happy heart, and kind words flowing from your mouth. Don't give the devil the opportunity to bring up your past to which God has forgiven you for. Lift your head up, smile, and remind him that you are a Child of the One True King and that his fate is defeat because Christ lives. Remember, we only give the devil room if we allow him to wiggle into our thoughts and into our lives. Listen to the song above and dance and sing your hearts out! Why? Because He is alive and is working in your life and mine! Be happy! Forgive others! Forgive yourself! Help others! Live for Him! Good night, my brothers and sisters! May God bless each and every one of you!! XOXO

Be a Mary

   This is one of my favorite stories mainly because it speaks volumes to me in my busy life of being a wife and stay-at-home mother of almost 3 children. This story is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verses 38-42 and it reads as follows:

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Not only can this apply to my life, but to those of you who know what it's like to have a busy life whether it be work related, college related, Church related, so forth and so on. How often do we find ourselves running around doing "stuff" that needs to be done vs taking a moment out of the day to just find a quiet spot and talk to God about how you feel that day? 

Martha and Mary were sisters (and also sisters to Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead). Martha exhibited the role as the elder by the way she always kept herself busy keeping after the home. As you see above, Martha found it annoying that her sister wasn't helping her with the daily chores and complained about it to Jesus. Jesus quickly came back and told Martha that Mary, sitting at His feet listening, was doing what Martha ought to be doing. Why do you think Jesus said that?

Granted, God understands that we have daily responsibilities that are called of us, but He also demands our complete devotion and attention. Remember when God had Moses bring His Hebrew children out of slavery from under Egyptian rule? After the Red Sea closed up, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His children to abide from. Here's what was said in the 2nd Commandment:

  

 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God..." Genesis 20:4-5a

He wants and demands our complete hearts, not just half of it. Mary was doing what she felt led to do. She wanted to hear what Jesus had to say because her heart was in the right place. She was focused and intrigued by everything He had said and Martha missed the whole point of who Jesus was at that time or else she would have sat down right beside her sister and listened in wonder and amazement. I also believe that after Jesus had told Martha that the best thing for her to do was to sit down and just listen, that a light bulb went off in her head and she realized that He was right and so was her sister for sitting there. 

In my personal situation, I am very busy with my little ones and my husband. I am always the last one to go to bed, I wake up in the middle of the night to change my daughter's diapers, check on my son at least once to make sure he is wrapped up in his bed, make sure my husband is covered up from mid back down to his toes while asleep, wake up bright and early to get my 5 year old off to Kindergarten while getting my 1 year old dressed in the process, come home to fix her breakfast, give her a nap, play with her, clean house while she is hanging on my legs, pick up from son from school, take trash off, shop for groceries, pay bills, budget our money, come home in time to re-clean everything and have a hot dinner ready for the husband when he gets home from work, play some more, give my husband attention, clean up after dinner, put my son to bed by reading 1 secular book and 1 Jesus story, give him his asthma medicine, make sure he brushes his teeth properly and uses the restroom, pray with him, hop on over to my daughter to get her ready for bed, have a quiet time with my husband, (affection usually follows...ha! hey, we are married so it's a blessing and not done in sin :D haha) pray with him before he dozes off, and then comes my time. Whoa! What a long sentence, huh?! Lives can become busy and we often lose focus of what's really important in life, like spending time with God. A lot of the time, during my daughter's nap or at night, I have to put the phone down and put it on silent because I realize that it can become a distraction. Sometimes, I have to place a load of laundry to the side when I feel the Spirit convict my heart to stop what I'm doing and to give that extra 15 minutes to God and guess what? If God tells you to do something, you do it. End of story. Never miss out on the blessings that God has for you when you open His Word and listen to that still small voice. I don't recommend studying through your phone because of the distraction of a text coming through or a phone ringing in. Shut the phone off, dust your ole Bible off, and pray that the Holy Spirit speaks to you and opens your heart, eyes, and ears to what God wants you to know. I promise this to you, when you do that, God will bless you for your obedience. He created you and what better way to show Him that you care, than to give Him your time. 

XOXO

  

Waiting on the Right One in God's Timing

 So many young singles, or even those who are dating, are trying so hard to find someone who will complete them in life. They experiment by going on multiple dates or date someone they are crazy about for a long period of time and often drop hints or even pressure the other on the issue of marriage. I do believe, however, that if it is God's timing, it can be either quick or take years. Every relationship should not be compared to the next because God has different plans and paths for each one of us. Remember, His timing is not our timing.

To those of you who are single and are looking: How are you preparing your heart for the one God has for you? 

I understand that it can be very difficult for some of you, especially you ladies, to be alone and content while being alone. I know. I was single for almost 2 years before I met my husband, Dustin. Before that I rushed into a marriage and before that, I always had a boyfriend. When I was single those 2 years, I was bombarded by guys who took me out on dates with the hopes of having a relationship, but I never felt led to any one of them. It wasn't until Dustin found me, that I knew he was the one. I prayed and prayed for this man and my heart broke for his former struggles and his past. I knew he was the one because not once did I ever pray for any other boyfriend in the past nor my ex-husband. I cried out to the Lord asking for guidance and it was hard. I didn't know if it was my desire alone or God's desire for me to hold on tight to him, but after time went by, Dustin told me that he saw me as his wife. He told me that I was everything he had ever looked for in a wife because I was older, mature, experienced with a child, and godly. I didn't need him to hold me up as a Christian or to better me as a person because I was there; he needed an anchor and God knew that. God placed us together and allowed us to go through all that we did for the sole Will of God to come together in the end. I had prepared my heart for my soul mate. I had also surrendered my thoughts and my heart to God while I was single because I didn't want God to think that He wasn't my main priority in life. One verse that I had repeated over and over in my mind was the verse found in Matthew 6:33: "But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all of these things shall be added unto you." I clung to that verse, tried to keep my eyes focused on him, and here comes the one God had created just for me and vice versa. For those of you who are single and waiting, keep waiting. Spend your time giving praise to the Lord, searching the Scriptures, and being busy. The Bible says in Matthew 7:7: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." I believe that with my whole heart and as long as you do the same, doors will open and the one God created for you will come, in God's timing.

To those of you who are dating someone and are trying to figure out if he/she is the one: How are you preparing your heart for the one God has for you?

Are you taking the right steps in your relationship to ensure blessings and bringing glory to God at the same time? Can you sit back and say with all honesty that you and your significant other are abstaining from sex? Are you two guilty of verbally or physically abusing one another? Are you staying in His word as a united front against the temptations of this world? Dating can lead you and your significant other to become more susceptible to not live in God's Will if you aren't strong in the Word. 

How can you keep yourself pure?

-Both of you need individual accountability partners. An accountability partner can call or text daily to encourage you in the scriptures and encourage you to make the best decision or help you avoid the wrong decision.

-Try not to be alone with one another unless you know that the two of you are strong enough to just hang out. If you're not strong, make sure the both of you keep yourselves surrounded by others.

-If you stay busy for the Lord, temptation won't be as great.

Is the other person verbally or physically abusive towards you?

Are you a victim of verbal abuse? Does your date yell at you, argue with you, point out flaws, put you down? If so, run. You are not married to this person and therefore, you have no obligation to stay no matter how many times they cry or tell you that they will change. They won't change with you, I promise. They might change with someone else, but if it is happening with you, it won't change with you UNLESS God intervenes, but He will understand if you don't stick around to find out. 

Are you a victim of physical abuse? If your boyfriend/girlfriend lays a hand on you, it's time to leave. Why? Some people change, some, but in a lot of cases, the violence will escalate. Women, especially, are the #1 targets of physical abuse because of the size difference between men and women. God made most women to be more fragile than men and because of that, some men use that to their advantage. Unfortunately, every day, women stay and even succumb to death. Don't let it go that far.

Saying all of that, I will say this: Every relationship is different. Our pastor gave his testimony about the man he was when he was married to his wife. He was a drunkard and everything else and didn't receive the Lord until his first daughter was about 6 months. He was rough, but God used his wife, who was a devout Christian, to lead a life that glorified God. In the end, he received the Lord, accepted a pastoral job and God has used him ever since and he is one of the greatest men I know. He and his wife don't listen to country or secular music nor follow the ways of this world. They walk the walk and talk the talk. If you know anything about the Bible and studied the lives of the great people God used, it wasn't the righteous; it was the unrighteous. He found pleasure in using misfits (Moses) and even murderers (Paul) for His purpose. Even if you do everything by the Book, it's okay too. The point is, is that every path that God has for us is different from the next. Why? Ask Him. To me, He can do whatever He wants because He is God and I trust Him at His Word. Will you prepare your heart for the one God has for you? Remember this, God's timing is not our timing. Let Him work. 

XOXO