JONAH - Whale of a Story

OK, so I have to start with a small admission – (confession?)

I’ve *cheated* a little on my "Bible Pick 'Ems" this week. I've *hedged my bets* so to speak.

But I've got a good reason.

There are so many great verses in the Bible, so many wonderful people. And God has much to say through the stories of their lives. But, especially when it comes to those pesky minor prophets, it would be *divine luck* indeed if I "happened to land" in their chapters.

And I just don't want to miss out!

So, I sorta fudged – I picked a book, and then I "randomly" opened my Bible.

So, with my *fessin' up* over with, let's get on with the lesson.

We're in Jonah – and I like Jonah.

Jonah is like me.

Stubborn, willful, ornery – (yes, I have that capability within me). Fearful, mistrustful, doubting – (definitely have that within me!) And yet, in the end – lesson learned – trusting and obedient – (with God's help, that is also me).

We're all quite familiar with the story of Jonah, aren't we?

The small, four-chapters-long book of Jonah is packed with great stuff.

But, today I'm pondering these verses:

"I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains…But you, O LORD my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you…" (Jonah 2:3-7)

Have you ever thought you were going to drown?

When I was younger – (oh, so much younger) – I used to go bodysurfing. I can remember *wiping out* all the time. It was really scary being tossed and turned, chewed and churned, by the mighty waves. The ocean can be a washing machine, for sure.

I remember being frightened, but I don't think I ever thought I was going to drown.

But, there was this other time.

I was on vacation with my parents, my sister, and my brother. We rented a cabin on Bass Lake in Northern California. And we went water-skiing…all the time.

My dad liked to get us up really early in the morning to go out – before all the other people got up – before the water got all choppy.

It was glorious water-skiing on that glassy expanse of clear water.

I remember this one morning, this one very cold morning, and I had just finished my "run."I was freezing. I had myself all bundled up in my jacket and like, two or more towels. I was wrapped like a mummy.

My brother was skiing, and my sister was keeping watch. Dad was steering the boat. Well, my brother got all "fancy" and fell trying to execute some crazy maneuver. My sister cried out to my dad to turn around, and as he leaned on the steering wheel to make a very sharp U-turn, the plastic steering wheel broke.

The boat went crazy.

And I, wrapped up like King Tut, slid erratically to one side of the boat, and then rapidly to the other. My sister tried to grab me, but I slipped out of her hand.

And so, I plunged over the side of the boat.

I was terrified!

The waters were seething around me – I was pretty sure that the outboard motor was going to shred me to bits – and if that didn't kill me, then my swaddling layers would.

Somehow, (and I think it was God), those towels loosened, and I was finally able to claw my way back to the surface – very nearly at the end of my breath.

I gasped, I choked – I floated there numb.

Finally, the boat made its way back to me, I was dragged on board, and that's when I freaked out. I hyperventilated, I sobbed uncontrollably. I had a total panic attack. The shivering was no longer just because of the cold.

But, I lived.

I can only imagine the horror that Jonah felt as he was sinking, entangled in seaweed, running out of breath. I'm thinking that that "random" hungry fish was a very good sight to behold! (I love how the Bible puts it: "Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah" – 1:17)

Here's where my lesson is for today.

Jonah said, "AS MY LIFE WAS SLIPPING AWAY, I remembered the LORD."

This sounds like me.

Why do I so often wait until the last minute to call on God?

Why do I have to be on the edge of panic before I turn to Him?

Why must I be drowning in confusion, or fear, or doubt, or any other emotion, before I finally "remember" the Lord?

Why do I wait?

I don't always, but so very often (too often) I do.

The Lord was there for Jonah, and He's always been there for me, too. I have to think, though, that many times when I finally cry out to Him – His first thought is probably this:

"What took you so long?"

I'm learning to make God my FIRST *go-to* – the One place that I immediately turn to in my times of trial and struggle. I'm practicing making my *earnest prayer* go out to God before I start to drown. I'm asking Him to save me before I start to sink.

He will.

"For my salvation comes from the LORD alone." (Jonah 2:10)

God's mercy is even deeper than those waters that threaten to overtake me. He is stronger than those fearsome waves.

He longs to rescue me, even before I need it.

So, I'm going to practice trusting and obeying in the beginning, turning to Him before I'm overwhelmed – leaning on His faithfulness, relying on His ability to keep me from drowning in this life of woe – sending my prayers out FIRST THING…

…so He doesn't have to *fish me out* after the fact!

Do you turn to God in the beginning of your troubles, or does He sometimes have to "send a fish"?

"When in doubt, search God out!"

DANIEL - Reputation On the Line

Reputation.

It's an important thing.

The dictionary defines the word this way:

REPUTATION:

1. (a): overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general

(b): recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability

2. a place in public esteem or regard; good name

Have you ever been in a position where people spread rumors about you?

Have you ever had your reputation doubted, attacked, soiled?

A long time ago, I did something that was out of character for me, and it affected my reputation.

I was a senior in high school – (I told you it was a long time ago!) At the time, I was considering a career as a teacher. So, my good friend and I enrolled in a Teacher Observation class. Once a week, we were allowed to leave campus to visit a local elementary classroom.

It was a pretty big deal – for one thing, my high school was a closed campus. That meant that we weren't allowed to leave school grounds until our day was done. No open lunch– no venturing off campus if you happened to have a gap in your schedule.

So, this was a real privilege to be able to leave for a class.

However, after a couple of months, my friend convinced me that we could just tell our teachers that we had an "assembly" at school, and we wouldn't be coming to the classroom that day. Then, we'd go eat and have some fun.

After awhile, my mentor teacher caught on – (I suppose he questioned two or three assemblies a month, always on the same day of the week) – and he reported us.

BUSTED.

Our supervisor called us into her office and read us the riot act.

The worst thing was all the accusations she threw at me about my character. You see, I was a VERY. GOOD. GIRL. A solid citizen, an honor student, a pretty compliant and rule-following person.

And she accused me, among other things, of being a slacker, a cheater, a liar.

It hurt.

I flashed back on this incident when I read today's "Bible Pick 'Ems." It's found in the book of Daniel.

First, a little background information.

It is the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede – (the son of Ahasuerus) – who had become the king of the Babylonian Empire. During this first year, Daniel learned that Jerusalem must lie desolate for 70 years.

I love how Daniel says it, in his very own words:

"…I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting…I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed…"

You know, you gotta love Daniel.

Here he is, trapped in exile, and yet he is faithful to his God, and to the reading of His Word. And, not only does he read the Word, he is responsive and obedient to it – he does NOT stop at reading – he acts in faith.

His prayer is beautiful.

But it's this particular passage that has me pondering:

"'Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary. O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city – the city that bears your name – lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.'"

(Daniel 9:17-19)

And here's what I'm pondering.

It's the way that Daniel prays. He prays for himself and his people, yes. But it's not what he prays for that is interesting to me – it's how he prays for it.

He calls on God's reputation.

Do you see it?!

Phrases –

For YOUR own sake, Lord, smile again…

See how YOUR city – the city that bears YOUR name…

We make this plea…because of YOUR mercy…

For YOUR own sake, do not delay…

For YOUR people and YOUR city bear YOUR name…

I've read passages like this before in the Bible. Where someone calls upon God's own reputation to move Him to act. I've often wondered about this.

Is it manipulative?

Is it self-serving?

Is it wrong?

It doesn't seem to be. At least if it's done from the proper heart-position. So, what am I missing?

I try to think of a human corollary. For instance, let's say hypothetically my son says something to me like this:

"Hey Mom, you might not want to wear your sweatpants outfit to pick me up, for your own sake."

Is he thinking about me? Or about HIS reputation – and the possible embarrassment from a sweatpants-wearing mom? Or is it somehow a combination of both?

I'm not sure I have the answers on this one, but I'm pondering.

God seems to welcome these kinds of prayers. Sometimes He even honors them.

Why?

I think it's that heart-position thing.

Daniel started his prayer with confession and repentance. He started with a humble heart, and a spirit willing to be obedient. He called on God's reputation, because he held God in such HIGH esteem. He KNEW God – and He didn't want God's reputation to be soiled because of His faulty and flawed people.

That makes sense to me.

Maybe if I begin to align my heart more truly with the God that I so highly admire and esteem – the LORD who inspires awe and reverent fear in me – then I can also ask for answered prayers for the sake of HIS honor – (of course, always yielding to His Sovereign will).

Lord, we bear Your name. Sometimes we don't wear it very well. But, in spite of all our failings, make us better ambassadors for Christ.

And for the sake of YOUR reputation, please show us mercy.

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, FOR MY OWN SAKE, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25, NIV)

What do you think about this? What does it mean to call on God's reputation in prayer?

"When in doubt, search God out!"

DANIEL - Behind the Scenes

Have you ever gone to a play?

I love to go to plays. I'm fascinated by them. I love the stories, I love the characters, I love the costumes and the makeup and the sets – I guess because I really love make-believe.

I just love watching all the action onstage.

But, for everything that I see happening in front of me, there's so much more going on backstage.

I know – I've acted in a play. And believe me, there is important activity going on behind the scenes – activity the audience is totally unaware of.

It's the same way in our own lives.

We're living our lives – lives that we can feel and see and know. And yet, there is important activity going on behind the scenes. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that there is a real, active, vibrant, important spiritual realm – and we play a key role in it.

Today’s "Bible Pick 'Ems" reminded me of this truth.

Picture it as a play –

The setting is the Kingdom of Persia. One of the characters is King Cyrus. It's the third year of his reign. The main character is Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar. He's the hero, if you will.

He has had another vision – a vision that concerned events certain to happen in the future –times of war and great hardship.

The date is April 23, and Daniel is standing on the bank of the Tigris River.

(That's the backdrop…)

All of a sudden, he looks up and sees a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold. His body looks like a precious gem. His face flashes like lightning, and his eyes flame like torches. His arms and feet shine like polished bronze, and his voice roars like a vast multitude of people.

(Cue the bright spotlight…)

Daniel's strength leaves him – his face grows deathly pale – and he feels very weak.

Then the man speaks:

"Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you." (Daniel 10:11)

(Cue Daniel…)

Daniel stands.

"Don't be afraid Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to be humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.” (Daniel 10:12)

Daniel stares, amazed and speechless.

"But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me…Now I am here to explain what will happen…" (Daniel 10:13-14)

I'm stopping the action here – you can read the rest of the story sometime – it's well worth it!

But I want to point out a few really crucial points. In Daniel's *visible world*, he'd been fasting and praying – in mourning for three weeks.

But oh my! What had been going on backstage??

God saw Daniel.

God heard Daniel's prayer – from the moment he uttered it.

God sent an angel to Daniel in answer to that prayer.

But, for 21 days, that angel had been delayed – in spiritual battle.

Michael came to the rescue.

And the angel continued on his Heaven-sent mission.

That's a lot of action going on backstage – important activity going on behind the scenes – activity that Daniel was totally unaware of.

I find this whole passage fascinating. It's a peek behind the curtain, a peek into the wings, a peek backstage. We are given a glimpse of the reality of the spiritual realm – a real, active, vibrant, important spiritual realm.

And the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we play a key role in it.

There's a war going on. And our prayers matter. Yes, indeed, God hears them as soon as we utter them, and He responds – sometimes in ways that we don't see.

But He responds.

Let's always remember that there's a reality we don't see, but it's real. And God is saying to our hearts –

"Don't be afraid, for you are very precious to Me. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!"

And never stop praying…

"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." (James 5:16)

(Today I am linked with Charlotte and Ginger at Spiritual Sundays, and Peggy at Super Sunday. Also, please feel free to visit my other blog during the week, Sharon Sharing God)

"When in doubt, search God out!"

COLOSSIANS - God's Top Ten List

Don’t you sometimes wish that you had an owner’s manual for Christianity?

An easy little list of "do this/do that" to follow?

God’s Top Ten List???

Of course, the life of faith does not unfold in simplicity – and so, a list could never cover all of the circumstances that life throws our way…right?

And yet, God’s Word has SO many things to teach us about what it means to be believer.

When I read today’s "Bible Pick ‘Ems" I was struck with this thought – this sounds like a wonderful list! A wise guideline to follow. Good instructions from the "owner’s manual."

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Jesus Christ…Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers…Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone." (Colossians 4:2, 3a, 4, 5a, 6)

Let’s explore this passage together.

Devote yourselves to prayer…

Do you ever get tired of praying for something or someone? In this passage, Paul is calling us to devoted prayer. Devotion – concentrated, committed, single-minded pursuit. We need to pray with persistence, expressing our faith that God answers our prayers – understanding that His answers might not look like what we had hoped for – and they might not arrive when we want them to. But, He is always listening, and He will answer in ways that He knows are best.

…with an alert mind and thankful heart.

Two key ingredients in our prayer life. First, be alert – to me that means checking our motives, asking for God’s wisdom and discernment, watching out for the enemy’s lies – keeping our eyes open to all the possibly distracting things that keep us from praying. The evil one does NOT want us to use this weapon. Second, have a thankful heart. It doesn’t do much good to come to God with a begrudging spirit, or a heart full of doubts. He isn’t a vending machine – plug in a prayer, out pops an answer. We should be mindful to be thankful – so very thankful – that He cares for us, that He listens to us – that He loves us enough to NOT give us everything we ask for.

Pray for us, too…

Intercessory prayer is so important. We need to marshal our resources, using prayer as a way to support each other in the Body of Christ. We can’t control all the circumstances of our lives, but we can pray about them. We can’t always fix the people we love – we often can’t even influence them much. But we can pray about them, pray for them – and we must.

…that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ.

It is good and right to pray for opportunities to tell others about the Good News. Salvation is a simple thing – and yet, it is mysterious. In this life, we will probably never understand the full gravity and wonder of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. And yet, we know the result. We were made right with God. That is something worth talking about. And we should ask God for MANY opportunities to spread His Word to others.

Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

Most people don’t need, and don’t want, a huge dissertation on God and His plan of salvation. That is what is so wonderfully good about the Good News. God chose to make His message "simple" – His wisdom chose profound simplicity. We need to ask God to give us the right words to say – clearly understood words. He will.

Live wisely among those who are not believers.

We’re all looking at "the other guy." We all evaluate those around us – comparing ourselves to others. It’s human nature. And when you identify yourself as a Christian, the stakes go up. We are being watched by the world. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we live according to the grace by which we’ve been called. God sends us out "into" the world, while at the same time commanding us to not be "of" the world. We are God’s representatives – we should live accordingly.

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive…

It is always important to be gracious in what we say. We lose our effectiveness if we are not courteous and respectful. Though we may not agree with another person’s views, we can be kind in our disagreement. Jesus did not "bash" people with His Truth. He made it attractive, compelling. The Greek word here for "attractive" means "seasoned with salt." Doesn’t that sum it up perfectly? Salt adds flavor, making something tastier. We want people to desire to know more about what we believe.

…so that you will have the right response for everyone.

It’s important to know what you’re talking about. It’s important to know Who you’re talking about. But it’s also vital to know who you’re talking to! The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks through us, and we need to seek after and claim His power. Right words, spoken at the right time, in the right manner, make for a message that reaches hearts. So we must be ready with a response when people ask us what and why we believe what we do.

You know, that’s a pretty good list!

Pray devotedly.

Be alert.

Be thankful.

Pray for others.

Ask for opportunities to spread the Good News.

Speak clearly.

Live wisely.

Be kind.

Be "salty."

Think about your audience.

And never forget, we do not labor alone. We have the Spirit of the Living God within us, and we have each other…

"When in doubt, search God out"

(I am linked up today with Super Sunday, hosted by Peggy - and Spiritual Sundays, hosted by Charlotte and Ginger!)

2 KINGS - Seek God, the Almighty!

Today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” comes from the book of 2 Kings 19.

A little background first.

Sennacherib has recently become the king of Assyria. He is the son of Sargon II, the king who had deported Israel’s people into captivity. To keep Assyria from attacking, the southern kingdom of Judah had been paying an annual tribute. But when Sennacherib became king, Hezekiah (the king of Judah) stopped paying this money. Sennacherib and his army retaliated, capturing all the fortified cities of Judah.

Finally, Sennacherib sent a message to Hezekiah, calling for his surrender, and taunting his God.

What did Hezekiah do?

He went to the Temple and prayed…

He sought the Lord’s help.

Though this story took place in history, a long time ago, I think there are some real nuggets of wisdom and encouragement that can apply to us today.

So, when we read this story, let’s pretend that Sennacherib is Satan, our “enemy” – taunting and menacing – and we are Hezekiah. Listen to some of the dialogue in that frame of mind:

“After Hezekiah received the letter…he went up to the LORD’S Temple and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed...’Bend down, O LORD, and listen! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God…Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power…’” (2 Kings 19:14-16, 19)

Hezekiah had it right. He went immediately and boldly to the Lord. He presented his predicament, his petition – he “spread it out before the Lord.” He prayed.

A good example to follow.

And yet, I’m ashamed to admit, sometimes God is my “last resort.”

I read “the enemy’s” letter – and I don’t turn to the only One who can help me.

How often do I listen to Satan’s taunts, allowing myself to be intimidated by him, to be influenced by him – to let him defy God by trying to convince me that God is NOT listening, NOT in control, NOT good?

How often do I let him threaten me – “You know, God’s promises aren’t true. Look at all the struggles you’re having, the trial and hardships. God doesn’t care. You’re just a victim of circumstances, tossed around by fate, and I am going to conquer you.”

Lord, forgive me.

So, what happened in this confrontation between Sennacherib and Hezekiah?

Well, God HIMSELF replied to Sennacherib’s snide words (and I picture Him saying the same thing to Satan):

“Whom have you been defying and ridiculing? Against whom did you raise your voice? At whom did you look with such haughty eyes? It was the Holy One of Israel!...you have defied the Lord…But I know you well – where you stay and when you come and go. I know the way you have raged against me. And because of your arrogance…I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth…” (2 Kings 19:22, 25, 27-28)

Sennacherib believed his kingdom and power had grown because of his own efforts and strength. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?!

But in reality, he succeeded only because of what God had allowed and caused.

God is the Supreme Ruler, the Sovereign One.

So, today’s “Bible Pick ‘Ems” brings us these lessons:

 Immediately go to God with ALL your problems –

especially the scary ones.

 Refuse to listen to “the enemy” –

don’t be intimidated, don’t be influenced.

 Don’t believe Satan’s lies – especially about God.

 God is in TOTAL control.

 He listens to us, He cares, He is good…all the time.

Oh yeah…one more thing.

GOD IS VICTORIOUS!!

“When in doubt, search God out!”