God and I have been conversing about feelings the last few days. He prefers that I feel them, I prefer to skip over them. It can be challenging to feel, respond, and move on. This morning, God led me to read the story of Jonah, and this guy was really something! God asked him to go on a mission, to go and preach to a city of lost people. But, Jonah, didn't want to so he decided he would go the opposite direction and he hopped on a ship and hid.
Once the ship got out to sea, God sent a huge storm, the ship was about to break into pieces, when the crew found Jonah they starting asking questions. Finally, they threw him overboard, because he told them to, and the storm stopped. Just like that!
Jonah was running away from God and from his feelings, he wanted to escape everything. He actually thought he could escape the presence of God. Once he was in the ocean, God sent a big fish to swallow him up and there he stayed for three days---ewe.
Fish got indigestion, Jonah got spewed out of belly, and God told Jonah to go to the city and preach to the lost again! He finally got the message and he went, and all the people surrendered to God, Jonah got mad because God was so darn good and kind! Seriously? Jonah pouting because people are saved? He did all that work, and God changed His mind. Poor Jonah.
I know how Jonah feels. Sometimes I have these overwhelming amount of feelings, many of them due to my circumstances, and I find myself asking God "so what are you doing?" or "you said this, but I see this." My desire is to run and make the great escape, just like Jonah did. But, when I make that choice, God usually sends a storm of some sort to bring me back.
God used Jonah to preach to a city, and through his voice 120,000 people chose to serve the God of heaven. So, God chose to save the city, He was pleased. Jonah chose to feel self-pity, and anger. Still, through it all, God used him. And, Jonah was blessed, I think he learned, and I have learned from Jonah, and I have laughed from his story too.
Father, Say That Again, You send me, You bring me back when I try to escape, You hold me when I feel.
Once the ship got out to sea, God sent a huge storm, the ship was about to break into pieces, when the crew found Jonah they starting asking questions. Finally, they threw him overboard, because he told them to, and the storm stopped. Just like that!
Jonah was running away from God and from his feelings, he wanted to escape everything. He actually thought he could escape the presence of God. Once he was in the ocean, God sent a big fish to swallow him up and there he stayed for three days---ewe.
Fish got indigestion, Jonah got spewed out of belly, and God told Jonah to go to the city and preach to the lost again! He finally got the message and he went, and all the people surrendered to God, Jonah got mad because God was so darn good and kind! Seriously? Jonah pouting because people are saved? He did all that work, and God changed His mind. Poor Jonah.
I know how Jonah feels. Sometimes I have these overwhelming amount of feelings, many of them due to my circumstances, and I find myself asking God "so what are you doing?" or "you said this, but I see this." My desire is to run and make the great escape, just like Jonah did. But, when I make that choice, God usually sends a storm of some sort to bring me back.
God used Jonah to preach to a city, and through his voice 120,000 people chose to serve the God of heaven. So, God chose to save the city, He was pleased. Jonah chose to feel self-pity, and anger. Still, through it all, God used him. And, Jonah was blessed, I think he learned, and I have learned from Jonah, and I have laughed from his story too.
Father, Say That Again, You send me, You bring me back when I try to escape, You hold me when I feel.
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