Jean Coleman's Blog - Posts Tagged "christian-blog"
Help! The Ship is Sinking!
God had a plan for Jonah. He wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh and He spelled it out for him in no uncertain terms. "Arise, go to Nineveh that great city and cry against it because their wickedness has come up before Me."
Jonah was without excuse. He knew exactly what God wanted him to do. The only problem was that Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh because he didn't believe that the city deserved God's mercy. So he made the decision to resist God and to flee from the presence of the Lord. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went down to Joppa and found a ship that was sailing to Tarshish.
After all, "Jonah reasoned, "I have free will and I can do whatever I want."
Of course God recognized that Jonah had free will and He will never override the freedom of choice. However, the Lord will do everything within His power to cause our will to be changed when it comes into conflict with His will.
So to get Jonah's attention, the Lord sent out a great wind and the little ship was tossed to and fro. All those on board were terrified, except for Jonah that is. He was down in the hold fast asleep, apparently oblivious to everything that was going on around him—the wind, the waves and the violent storm.
The sailors feared for their lives as the boat thrashed about in the sea. They asked themselves what they had done to deserve the terrible storm that had come upon them. They sought to find a reason for their dire circumstances, even tossing overboard those things that were weighing them down. It actually appeared to them that God was inflicting chastening upon them when they were innocent of any wrongdoing.
Interestingly enough, God was not dealing with the sailors at all. They were seasick, half-drowned, fearful, weary from trying to keep the ship afloat—yet God was not dealing with them God was only after Jonah and all those other people affected by the storm just happened to be in the same boat!
We can be in the same situation today when the Lord is dealing with someone in our family who is running from His presence. If someone in your household is resisting God, you can be sure that storms will beat upon your house. There will be problems and circumstances that are completely beyond your comprehension. Often the entire family structure will be shaken as God seeks to attract the attention of the prodigal.
Do you think having your son arrested for drug abuse isn't going to rock the boat? Or learning that your fifteen year old daughter is pregnant is going to be smooth sailing? Is the water calm when you have an alcoholic husband or your wife is having an affair with someone from her office?
You will probably feel like you are drowning in problems while your Jonah doesn't even seem to even notice the havoc their rebellion is causing. You are seasick, hanging over the side of the ship, wondering if you're going to survive the storm. Meanwhile your wayward one is calmly texting a friend as though no problem exists at all. Or perhaps even calling you to say he's working late at the office when you can hear laughter in the background.
And meanwhile, you are on your knees in prayer, waves of panic flowing over you, saying, "What have I done to deserve this?"
You have done nothing wrong. God is not dealing with you at all. Relax. Sooner or later the Jonah in your household will change his ways. And in the meantime, God isn't going to let your ship go down. You're going to make it safely to your destination if you don't panic and jump overboard.
Remember, if you're in the same boat with someone running from God, you're sure to experience some stormy times. Don't despair. Hang on tight, ride out the storm and let God have His perfect way. Remember how the story ends. Jonah eventually got to Nineveh, the sailors got to the other side and the boat didn't sink.
Jonah was without excuse. He knew exactly what God wanted him to do. The only problem was that Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh because he didn't believe that the city deserved God's mercy. So he made the decision to resist God and to flee from the presence of the Lord. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah went down to Joppa and found a ship that was sailing to Tarshish.
After all, "Jonah reasoned, "I have free will and I can do whatever I want."
Of course God recognized that Jonah had free will and He will never override the freedom of choice. However, the Lord will do everything within His power to cause our will to be changed when it comes into conflict with His will.
So to get Jonah's attention, the Lord sent out a great wind and the little ship was tossed to and fro. All those on board were terrified, except for Jonah that is. He was down in the hold fast asleep, apparently oblivious to everything that was going on around him—the wind, the waves and the violent storm.
The sailors feared for their lives as the boat thrashed about in the sea. They asked themselves what they had done to deserve the terrible storm that had come upon them. They sought to find a reason for their dire circumstances, even tossing overboard those things that were weighing them down. It actually appeared to them that God was inflicting chastening upon them when they were innocent of any wrongdoing.
Interestingly enough, God was not dealing with the sailors at all. They were seasick, half-drowned, fearful, weary from trying to keep the ship afloat—yet God was not dealing with them God was only after Jonah and all those other people affected by the storm just happened to be in the same boat!
We can be in the same situation today when the Lord is dealing with someone in our family who is running from His presence. If someone in your household is resisting God, you can be sure that storms will beat upon your house. There will be problems and circumstances that are completely beyond your comprehension. Often the entire family structure will be shaken as God seeks to attract the attention of the prodigal.
Do you think having your son arrested for drug abuse isn't going to rock the boat? Or learning that your fifteen year old daughter is pregnant is going to be smooth sailing? Is the water calm when you have an alcoholic husband or your wife is having an affair with someone from her office?
You will probably feel like you are drowning in problems while your Jonah doesn't even seem to even notice the havoc their rebellion is causing. You are seasick, hanging over the side of the ship, wondering if you're going to survive the storm. Meanwhile your wayward one is calmly texting a friend as though no problem exists at all. Or perhaps even calling you to say he's working late at the office when you can hear laughter in the background.
And meanwhile, you are on your knees in prayer, waves of panic flowing over you, saying, "What have I done to deserve this?"
You have done nothing wrong. God is not dealing with you at all. Relax. Sooner or later the Jonah in your household will change his ways. And in the meantime, God isn't going to let your ship go down. You're going to make it safely to your destination if you don't panic and jump overboard.
Remember, if you're in the same boat with someone running from God, you're sure to experience some stormy times. Don't despair. Hang on tight, ride out the storm and let God have His perfect way. Remember how the story ends. Jonah eventually got to Nineveh, the sailors got to the other side and the boat didn't sink.
WHY JESUS WEPT
Lazarus was dead and our Lord Jesus wept,
But He told His disciples that Lazarus just slept.
The death of the body to Jesus was sleep
For the soul lives forever in His precious sheep.
The mourners were weeping,
They were all filled with gloom
And Christ too was troubled that day by the tomb.
For Lazarus had gone to a far better life,
A life free from sickness and pain, hate and strife.
Yet to show all God's glory, Jesus needed him here.
Lazarus had to come back so the truth would be clear.
And so Jesus wept as He called Lazarus out,
Back to sin, hate and evil and to pain and to doubt.
For Lazarus had seen just what joy lies in store
For those who by faith enter through heaven's door.
But the Master had called him, so Lazarus returned,
And the truth Christ was Savior, the people discerned.
The life-giving Savior before them did stand
And the might of His power they spread through the land.
And Lazarus who saw heaven's glory unfurled
Once more walked the paths of our sinful old world.
And that's why our blessed Lord Jesus did cry--
He had brought Lazarus back from the glory on high.
From the Gospel of John 11:1-45
But He told His disciples that Lazarus just slept.
The death of the body to Jesus was sleep
For the soul lives forever in His precious sheep.
The mourners were weeping,
They were all filled with gloom
And Christ too was troubled that day by the tomb.
For Lazarus had gone to a far better life,
A life free from sickness and pain, hate and strife.
Yet to show all God's glory, Jesus needed him here.
Lazarus had to come back so the truth would be clear.
And so Jesus wept as He called Lazarus out,
Back to sin, hate and evil and to pain and to doubt.
For Lazarus had seen just what joy lies in store
For those who by faith enter through heaven's door.
But the Master had called him, so Lazarus returned,
And the truth Christ was Savior, the people discerned.
The life-giving Savior before them did stand
And the might of His power they spread through the land.
And Lazarus who saw heaven's glory unfurled
Once more walked the paths of our sinful old world.
And that's why our blessed Lord Jesus did cry--
He had brought Lazarus back from the glory on high.
From the Gospel of John 11:1-45
