Changes

I seem to be on a one day lag of getting my thoughts in line on my daily readings. I read yesterday from the same two sources that I did the day before, Chambers and Boa. In different parts of Scripture, but they triggered similars thoughts for me:

and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3 (NASB)



But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry.

He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.

"Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life."

The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?"

Jonah 4:1-4 (NASB)

Chambers talked about the need for continuous conversion, even after the point at which we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Boa talked about doing what is right in God's eyes. Jonah was angry that God saved the people who we the tormentors of Jonah's people. Instead of joy at the glory to God shown by this change of heart, Jonah was filled with self righteous anger. Jonah needed some of the continuous conversion that Chambers talks about.

How many times have I been angry that God's plans do not line up with mine? How many times have you? Probably planty for both of us. If we call ourselves children of God, how can we be angry when the Father is glorified? How can we be mad when the sacrifice of the Son is fulfilled in some way before our eyes?

Yet constantly we need be reminded to have a child-like faith in Jesus. Because we are proud, and self righteous, and oh so much better than others.

Yeah, right.

How Low Can You Go?

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day
Darkness and light are alike to You.

Psalm 139:7-12 (NASB)

God sees all, the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for all. There is no where that the Light of God cannot pierce. Even in the darkest part of a heart stained with sin, He is there if you will only turn to Him. The darkest night can be the brightest day by His presence in your life.

I am reminded of the story of Jonah by these verses:

Jonah went down to Joppa. (1:3)
Jonah went down to the ship. (1:3)
Jonah went down into the ship.(1:5)
Jonah went down into the sea. (1:15)
Jonah went down into the fish. (1:17)
Jonah went down to the roots of the mountains. (2:6)

The Lord still found Jonah, no matter how far down he went to get away from God. And what happened?

Jonah was brought up from the pit by the Lord. (2:6)
Jonah was brought back onto dry land. (2:10)

Jonah saw the darkness in his heart, a darkness he still struggled with after the Lord had redeemed him from the sea. But the Lord could pierce Jonah even at the very roots of the mountains of the sea. Jonah could not get any lower, but he could not get underneath God. God took drastic measures with Jonah, because of Jonah, not because of God.

Then the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land. Jonah 2:10 (NASB)

So before you try to out limbo the Lord, check your heart, search its darkness and realize that God has not turned from you, you have turned from Him.

And do something about it before He has to turn you into fish puke.