Hard Lessons
If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes it can be really hard to see the state of our own hearts. The pressure to perform and the weight of responsibilities can create a build up of anger, resentment, and rebellion in our hearts that we don’t even realize is there.
Have you ever found yourself saying to God:
It’s just too much to ask of me.
It’s too hard.
I don’t want to do that.
This storm that I’m in has caused too much trouble in my life. I’m done being tossed and tormented.
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.’” Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV)
God gave Jonah a call and he ran from it. He refused and resisted the responsibility God charged Him with. Sometimes we find God’s call intimidating and when we are convicted of the responsibility, we end up fleeing like Jonah. And, like Jonah, this leads to shrinking, shunning, and sinking.
After Jonah boarded the ship, a terrible storm hit. When there is trouble in our midst, we ask questions. Jonah’s shipmates had some questions.
“Then the sailors said to each other, ‘Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.’ They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, ‘Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you? He answered, ‘I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.’” Jonah 1:7-9 (NIV)
Be who you say you are.
When you live contradictory to who you say you are, it will cause the people around you to have questions about God.
“The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, ‘What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?’ ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea,’ he replied, ‘and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.’” Jonah 1:11-12
We see here that Jonah would rather die in rebellion than humbly yield himself and obey the Lord. They threw Jonah into the sea and the raging storm subsided. However, the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and keep him safe.
God’s provision isn’t always pretty or comfortable.
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 138: 7-10 (NIV)
When you are in so deep, when you are drowning and disobedient, when you have no other alternative, no other help, pray.
He hears.
He answers.
He controls the pressures around you and the threats against you.
He shows mercy.
He rescues, redeems, and resuscitates.
He saves.
God gives Jonah a do-over.
It’s the same call, but with a new commitment to the call. He had to take the steps towards obedience. God moved through Jonah’s preaching and showed mercy to Nineveh by not destroying them.
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, ‘Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ But theLord replied, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’” Jonah 4:1-4 (NIV)
Jonah wanted mercy for himself but not Nineveh. He let God’s mercy on the people of Nineveh inflict deep misery on him. He was refusing to let God be God. We can experience rebellion, resistance, and resentment all because it’s not how we think God should deal with someone who is a problem to us.
We have to know who God is, and allow Him to teach us who we are so that we can know others.
Sometimes, like Jonah, it feels like the things we know don’t add up or come together in a clear way. Although we’re not exactly sure where they are off, we just know they don’t line up. This is a clear sign that our foundation is unstable. We need to build our lives on Jesus, the rock.
