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JONAH'S JOB
Friday,
September 6, 2013
; LK Jordan
Friday,
Have you ever wondered how Job felt when Satan got permission to harm his
family? (Job
1:12
) Or found it odd that a man was born blind so Jesus could show the power of
God? (Jn 9:1-3) And how could a landowner pay one-hour workers as much as he
paid day-long workers? (Matt 20:1-15) Clearly, some of God’s ways are hard to
understand and may even cause us, like Jonah, to take flight.
As
Jonah learned, God's intrusion into our lives usually occurs in the face of
contrary intentions on our part and often outright resistance. He
is not “tame” and certainly Jonah is not the only person who has unhappily
said, “I cannot believe a good God who would allow that to happen.”
God’s will is that we know
Him, trust Him, obey Him, that we practice mercy and justice and that we - and
the
Nineveh
enemies in our life– find salvation and become more like His Son. These
traits do not come easily and this is why God's ways and thoughts are quite
different from, and superior to, ours. (Isaiah 55:9) Jonah's
job was to trust and obey even thought he instead desired death. Our job is the
same as Jonah's.
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more:
follow on Twitter @jefflampl
Just gotta be honest. God is difficult to follow when His plans don't line up with ours. It seems hopeless and like there's no end in sight. It can seem like the world is crashing down and like you will never get out of the hopeless void; like your life will never be the same; like depression is the only companion you have left because it (seemingly) will never leave you. I am so thankful to God for pulling us out at just the right time and showing what dependence on Him can feel like. To be fulfilled in that moment is unworldly. I am not designed for this body. I am not designed for pain or suffering or insecurities or hurt or depression or iniquities or... anything that isn't God. I know Him. I know what He's like. I know what He does and what He doesn't do. I know how He intends for me to live. And it is not this current life. It is in this moment that I recognize my need for Him and, therefore, run to Him and bask in His glory, mercy, forgiveness, and grace. When I receive the Lord I see a glimpse into His perfection and true contentment. I love the Lord.
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