Jonah - The Jerky Prophet

Are you familiar with the story of Jonah? God calls Jonah to preach repentance to Ninevah. Jonah runs the opposite direction and jumps on a boat headed to Tarshish. Due to a severe storm, the people on the ship are frightened. Jonah gets thrown overboard and swallowed by a big fish. Jonah repents and the fish pukes him onto dry land. Jonah heads to Ninevah and preaches the message God directed him to share. What a simple story, right?

The four chapters that make up the Book of Jonah are anything but simple! In fact, last night there were three thoughts that I couldn't get out of my head. I thought I would share them with you...

1. Isn't it interesting that Jonah believed he could worship God and disobey God at the same time? Think about it. Jonah 1:3 says, "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish." Then, a few verses later, Jonah says, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land" (Jonah 1:9). Dear Jonah, are't thou bipolar? What made him think that he could clearly disobey God and still fool others into believing his heart was 100% dedicated to the Maker of Heaven and Earth? You can't call Him Lord and tell Him no! Let's put this in our context. Aren't we a lot like Jonah? We love to fool others into believing that our hearts are totally bent towards God and yet we are openly living in sin without any care or concern of the consequence. Do you honestly think that God is pleased with your fake worship? Here's the deal: If you want God to bless you, you need to deal with your disobedience! If not, you might get swallowed by a big 'ol fish!
2. Isn't it interesting that Jonah turned back to God when he was in a desperate situation? He couldn't get himself out of the belly of the fish! He needed God. As Christians, we often come to God and ask Him to clean up our mess rather than come to Him and ask for guidance and direction in the first place. Think of how much easier your life would be if you simply came to God first!
3. Isn't it interesting how jerky Jonah was? After he preached repentance to Nineveh, they repented. Most pastors would be thrilled to see people respond to their message! Not Jonah. In fact, Jonah got down right rude. Read his prayer: "O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee 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, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live" (Jonah 4:2-3). Wow! Jonah didn't want to preach to the people in Nineveh because he knew that God would forgive them if they fell on their knees and turned from their sin! Isn't that an interesting twist in the narrative? Jonah got an attitude because the people were saved from destruction! Jonah had absolutely no compassion for these people that were far from God. Funny...some things never change! When I look at most Christians today, I see people who have little to no compassion for people who are far from God. How can I make such a bold statement? Simple: If you care about them, what are you doing to reach them? Our words are empty and hallow unless they are supported with our actions. Do you care about the lost? Then act like it!

As you continue through this rainy day, spent some time with God!!