today's meditation (Jonah 4) Being Aligned

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Jonah 4:1-11) But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. 2 Then he prayed to the Lord and said, “Please Lord, was this not what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore in anticipation of this I fled to Tarshish, since I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in mercy, and One who relents of disaster. 3 So now, Lord, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.” 4 But the Lord said, “Do you have a good reason to be angry?”

5 Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade, until he could see what would happen in the city. 6 So the Lord God designated a plant, and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to relieve him of his discomfort. And Jonah was overjoyed about the plant. 7 But God designated a worm when dawn came the next day, and it attacked the plant and it withered. 8 And when the sun came up God designated a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head so that he became faint, and he begged with all his soul to die, saying, “Death is better to me than life!”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Do you have a good reason to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “I have good reason to be angry, even to the point of death!” 10 Then the Lord said, “You had compassion on the plant, for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. 11 Should I not also have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 people, who do not know the difference between their right hand and their left, as well as many animals?”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Jonah was angry for selfish reasons.  Things had not gone his way.  He had wanted all the people of Nineveh to die a terrible death, but had wanted that tree to stay alive, even though he had nothing to do with its existence.  Meanwhile, yes, God hates sin and will judge and punish all sinners.  Does He want to?  No!  God loves all people and has created all of us with a purpose, with a desire that we all come to know Him personally.  And when anyone humbly goes to Him for salvation, He will forgive all their sins and save them from eternal death.

If our hearts are right with God and aligned with His will... we will be praying for our own worst enemies to find salvation...  We would graciously forgive all those who hurt us, because God has forgiven us of all OUR sins...  Let's not get all high and mighty with pride, we are no better than anyone else!  So let us celebrate when anyone comes to know the Lord personally!   Let us pray for all our brothers and sisters in Christ that they grow in the Lord and remain steadfast.  And instead of criticizing each other or waiting for someone to stumble, let us help and encourage one another!  The more aligned we are to Jesus and His word, the more we will be aligned with each other!

today's meditation (Jonah 3) Having Remorse

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Jonah 3:1-10) Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you.” 3 So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk. 4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day’s walk; and he cried out and said, “Forty more days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he got up from his throne, removed his robe from himself, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the dust. 7 And he issued a proclamation, and it said, “In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: No person, animal, herd, or flock is to taste anything. They are not to eat, or drink water. 8 But every person and animal must be covered with sackcloth; and people are to call on God vehemently, and they are to turn, each one from his evil way, and from the violence which is in their hands. 9 Who knows, God may turn and relent, and turn from His burning anger so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their evil way, then God relented of the disaster which He had declared He would bring on them. So He did not do it.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Just as Jonah, who knew God and knew better, had finally turned to the Lord in prayer to be saved from the fish at the brink of death, the people of Nineveh repented and turned to the Lord to be saved.  Just as Jonah could have died in the fish but would have gone to heaven because he was a believer, the people of Nineveh who had become believers would have also gone to heaven, even if God had still destroyed the city.  But God decided to spare the people, just as He had spared Jonah.

Now it is very interesting that in these times, or maybe it is more about in these cultures, who worship gods and go to extremes of showing remorse and trying to win favor, that they automatically approach the Lord like this.  God doesn't expect sackcloth and ashes or sitting in the dirt - it is all about the condition of our hearts.  When someone goes to Him for salvation, or when believers go to Him to confess, God knows if we are sincere when our hearts and minds are humble and there is remorse, ready to accept and embrace His peace and joy.

In our relationship and walk with Jesus, His grace is always there, and it is amazing.  We cannot lose our salvation but let us not take it for granted.  God still hates sin, so our sin causes us to move away from Him.  Again, no need for sackcloth and ashes, but let us make our confessions to Him with a sincere and contrite heart that wants to stop sinful behavior and continue to cling to Him for His help, guidance and strength.

today's meditation (Jonah 2) Remaining Steadfast

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Jonah 2:1-10) Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said,

     “I called out of my distress to the Lord,
     And He answered me.
     I called for help from the depth of Sheol;
     You heard my voice.
3   For You threw me into the deep,
     Into the heart of the seas,
     And the current flowed around me.
     All Your breakers and waves passed over me.
4   So I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight.
     Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’
5   Water encompassed me to the point of death.
     The deep flowed around me,
     Seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6   I descended to the base of the mountains.
     The earth with its bars was around me forever,
     But You have brought up my life from the pit, Lord my God.
7   While I was fainting away,
     I remembered the Lord,
     And my prayer came to You,
     Into Your holy temple.
8   Those who are followers of worthless idols 
     Abandon their faithfulness,
9   But I will sacrifice to You 
     With a voice of thanksgiving.
     That which I have vowed I will pay.
     Salvation is from the Lord.”

10 Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

As Jonah tried to run away, God helped him get "even further".  I mean how far away can one get than in the belly of a fish in the middle of the sea wrapped in seaweed?  But God can reach us anywhere.  And still, I'm assuming with stubborn pride, even though Jonah had no other options, he held out for three days before crying out to the Lord.  

Whether the Lord saved Jonah from the fish or not, if Jonah had died there in that fish, he was saved from eternal death because he was a believer.  But since God was not yet finished with Jonah here on earth, Jonah was physically delivered to shore.  My takeaway from all of this is not just about confessing our sins as soon as possible, but trying not to ever run away from God in the first place!  I mean - we will - but if we can avoid all of that, why not strive to continuously live in God's will?  

To not run away doesn't just mean physically, it can be mentally or emotionally.  And instead of looking at it from a negative standpoint, we should consider this from a positive standpoint.  For everything in life, let us run to God and His word to find out what He says, pray about it, and then trust that the Lord will work all things out for good, while giving us His strength and guidance!  And when we do stumble or stray, as soon as possible, run back to God and confess.  THIS is how we remain steadfast!

FYI: People often think that this story couldn't be true, as it sounds quite incredible.  But I remember seeing an episode in 1976 from "The Undersea World of Jacque Cousteau" called "The Fish That Swallowed Jonah".  People have assumed it was a whale that swallowed Jonah, but these experts on sea life say that it was most likely one of the larger species of groupers.   The Fish That Swallowed Jonah, Episode 35 of 36, Jacques Cousteau Odyssey - YouTube

today's meditation (Jonah 1) Praying for Help

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Jonah 1:1-17) The word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it, because their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship that was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and boarded it to go with them to Tarshish away from the presence of the Lord.

4 However, the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea, so that the ship was about to break up. 5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried out to his god, and they hurled the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the stern of the ship, had lain down, and fallen sound asleep. 6 So the captain approached him and said, “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god! Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.”

7 And each man said to his mate, “Come, let’s cast lots so that we may find out on whose account this catastrophe has struck us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this catastrophe struck us? What is your occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and from what people are you?” 9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 Then the men became extremely afraid, and they said to him, “How could you do this?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 So they said to him, “What should we do to you so that the sea will become calm for us?”—for the sea was becoming increasingly stormy. 12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will become calm for you, because I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” 13 However, the men rowed desperately to return to land, but they could not, because the sea was becoming even stormier against them. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord and said, “We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life, and do not put innocent blood on us; for You, Lord, have done as You pleased.”

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging. 16 Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

17 And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Jonah's feeble attempt to run away from God by leaving Israel could be likened to when disgruntled Christians stop going to church.  And because of Jonah's disobedience, besides being swallowed by a great fish, the men on the boat were also made to suffer.  When a Christian stops going to church, not only will they suffer consequences, but it will impact those around them.  It will impact one's testimony to unbelievers who are observing.  It can shake the faith of weaker Christians.  And it can be discouraging even for the mature Christians.

While it is important to consider those around us, we are all just responsible for our own relationship and walk with God.  Interestingly, part of our walk with God involves our testimony and interaction with those around us - but - it all starts with our relationship with God! We've got to know, there isn't any place we can go to hide from the Lord!  He knows and sees everything.  And as Creator, and as our loving and perfect heavenly Father, He is sovereign and wants to help us in every aspect of our lives.

Whatever God asks of us, we are not to do it in our own strength.  We will tire out, mess up, and become discouraged, because what God asks of us is impossible... unless we look to Him to do it for us.  For everything and anything, instead of running away from God, we can run to God and ask Him to do things for us in His strength, wisdom and love.  Even loving others as we should!  I have prayed this prayer many times, "Lord, help me to love - be my love - please, love these people for me!"  I have even prayed this, "Lord, I do believe, help my unbelief!"  

To pray in God's will, it is important to know what His will is.  We can easily figure that out by reading and studying His word.  And then, when we ask the Lord to do things for us that He asks of us to do - He will answer and does answer these prayers!  He is our Help!  And He is faithful!

today's meditation (Ob.1) Being Humble

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Obadiah 1:1-21)  The vision of Obadiah.

This is what the Lord God says concerning Edom—

     We have heard a report from the Lord,
     And a messenger has been sent among the nations saying,
     “Arise, and let’s go up against her for battle”—
2   “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
     You are greatly despised.
3   The arrogance of your heart has deceived you,
     The one who lives in the clefts of the rock,
     On the height of his dwelling place,
     Who says in his heart,
     ‘Who will bring me down to earth?’
4   Though you make your home high like the eagle,
     Though you set your nest among the stars,
     From there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord.
5   “If thieves came to you,
     If robbers by night—
     Oh how you will be ruined!—
     Would they not steal only until they had enough?
     If grape-pickers came to you,
     Would they not leave some gleanings?
6   Oh how Esau will be searched,
     And his hidden treasures searched out!
7   All the people allied with you 
     Will send you to the border,
     And the people at peace with you 
     Will deceive you and overpower you.
     They who eat your bread 
     Will set an ambush for you.
     (There is no understanding in him.)
8   Will I not on that day,” declares the Lord,
     “Eliminate wise men from Edom,
     And understanding from the mountain of Esau?
9   Then your warriors will be filled with terror, Teman,
     So that everyone will be eliminated from the mountain of Esau by murder.

10 “Because of violence to your brother Jacob,
     Shame will cover you,
     And you will be eliminated forever.
11 On the day that you stood aloof,
     On the day that strangers carried off his wealth,
     And foreigners entered his gate 
     And cast lots for Jerusalem—
     You too were as one of them.
12 Do not gloat over your brother’s day,
     The day of his misfortune.
     And do not rejoice over the sons of Judah 
     On the day of their destruction;
     Yes, do not boast 
     On the day of their distress.
13 Do not enter the gate of My people 
     On the day of their disaster.
     You indeed, do not gloat over their catastrophe 
     On the day of their disaster.
     And do not lay a hand on their wealth 
     On the day of their disaster.
14 Do not stand at the crossroads 
     To eliminate their survivors;
     And do not hand over their refugees 
     On the day of their distress.

15 “For the day of the Lord is near for all the nations.
     Just as you have done, it will be done to you.
     Your dealings will return on your own head.
16 For just as you drank on My holy mountain,
     All the nations will drink continually.
     They will drink to the last drop,
     And become as if they had never existed.
17 But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape,
     And it will be holy.
     And the house of Jacob will possess their property.
18 Then the house of Jacob will be a fire,
     And the house of Joseph a flame;
     But the house of Esau will be like stubble.
     And they will set them on fire and consume them,
     So that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau,”
     For the Lord has spoken.
19 Then those of the Negev will possess the mountain of Esau,
     And those of the Shephelah the Philistine plain;
     Also, they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria,
     And Benjamin the territory of Gilead.
20 And the exiles of this army of the sons of Israel,
     Who are among the Canaanites as far as Zarephath,
     And the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad,
     Will possess the cities of the Negev.
21 The deliverers will ascend Mount Zion 
     To judge the mountain of Esau,
     And the kingdom will be the Lord’s.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Being arrogant is very deceptive.  This takes the stance that one is in control and doesn't need any help from anyone, not even God.  Arrogance even decides that one is better and knows better than anyone else, including God.  Just like being self-righteous, even if trying to live the best life possible, this takes the stance that one is right in their own thinking and actions.  But anyone who does not choose to humble themselves before God and accept His free gift of salvation, they will have no choice in the end but to bow down and be humbled before the Lord who will judge them according to their sins.  

Even though believers have been forgiven and will not be judged according to our sins, we will still struggle while here on earth.  So, as we stumble, Christians who do not confess and turn from sinful behaviors, will be humbled as God allows consequences into our lives.  And for us, the sin of arrogance and self-righteousness are still very deceptive and destructive - opposite of what a Christian should be!

A Christian - as it says in its name - is a Christ-follower.  Because we acknowledge that all things are from God, we thankfully and humbly accept His salvation and His help.  And in order to live in His will, we continually need to humbly accept His guidance and strength.  If we are to boast, let us boast in the Lord, for He has done great things!

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

today's meditation (Amos 9) Being Restored

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Amos 9:1-15)

1   I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and He said,

     “Strike the pillar capitals so that the thresholds will shake,
     And break them on the heads of them all!
     Then I will put to death the rest of them with the sword;
     They will not have a fugitive who will flee,
     Nor a survivor who will escape.
2   Though they dig into Sheol,
     From there My hand will take them;
     And though they ascend to heaven,
     From there I will bring them down.
3   And though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
     I will track them down and take them from there;
     And though they hide themselves from My sight on the bottom of the sea,
     I will command the serpent from there, and it will bite them.
4   And though they go into captivity before their enemies,
     From there I will command the sword and it will kill them,
     And I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good.”

5   The Lord God of armies,
     The One who touches the land so that it quakes,
     And all those who live in it mourn,
     And all of it rises up like the Nile 
     And subsides like the Nile of Egypt;
6   The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens 
     And has founded His vaulted dome over the earth,
     He who calls for the waters of the sea 
     And pours them out on the face of the earth,
     The Lord is His name.

7   “Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me,
     You sons of Israel?” declares the Lord.
     “Have I not brought up Israel from the land of Egypt,
     And the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?
8   Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom,
     And I will eliminate it from the face of the earth;
     Nevertheless, I will not totally eliminate the house of Jacob,”
     Declares the Lord.
9   “For behold, I am commanding,
     And I will shake the house of Israel among all nations 
     As grain is shaken in a sieve,
     But not a pebble will fall to the ground.
10 All the sinners of My people will die by the sword,
     Those who say, ‘The catastrophe will not overtake or confront us.’

11 “On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter of David,
     And wall up its gaps;
     I will also raise up its ruins 
     And rebuild it as in the days of old;
12 So that they may possess the remnant of Edom 
     And all the nations who are called by My name,”
     Declares the Lord who does this.

13 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
     “When the plowman will overtake the reaper,
     And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
     When the mountains will drip grape juice,
     And all the hills will come apart.
14 I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
     And they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
     They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,
     And make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will also plant them on their land,
     And they will not be uprooted again from their land
     Which I have given them,”
     Says the Lord your God.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

Sin separates every person from the Lord, and it is only through the Lord that a person can be restored.  Verse 10 is very clear, even though someone is an Israelite, if they do not choose to believe in the Lord, they will die.  They will not see the Millennial kingdom, nor will they see heaven.  And those who choose to believe in the Lord will inherit their land as God promised, according to their covenants and will spend eternity in heaven.  

Out of all the sinful people on earth, God had chosen and called Abraham, who chose to believe in the Lord, making Him his God, to trust and obey.  Remember, part of the covenant made to Abraham included not just the Israelites, but that all nations would be blessed.  This was because through Abraham's seed, the Lord would come to earth in flesh.  God knew that the Israelites would reject Him as their King and crucify Him, but God willingly allowed this to happen in order to make salvation possible to everyone.  

It is all about a personal choice, to have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  If and when we have children, they are not saved because we are.  Everyone has to make this decision for themselves.  And it is not a cultural or racial thing.  God is not white, black or brown... the Lord is God, and He loved the world so much, He paid the price for all sin and conquered death so that anyone can go to Him for forgiveness of sins, receiving eternal life, as well as love, guidance and strength from our perfect heavenly Father!  

today's meditation (Amos 8) Quenching One's Thirst

(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)

(Amos 8:1-14) This is what the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. 2 And He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will not spare them any longer. 3 The songs of the palace will turn to wailing on that day,” declares the Lord God. “The corpses will be many; in every place they will throw them out. Hush!”

4 Hear this, you who trample the needy, to put an end to the humble of the land, 5 saying,

     “When will the new moon be over,
     So that we may sell grain;
     And the Sabbath, so that we may open the wheat market,
     To make the ephah smaller and the shekel bigger,
     And to cheat with dishonest scales,
6   So as to buy the helpless for money,
     And the needy for a pair of sandals,
     And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

7   The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob,
     “Indeed, I will never forget any of their deeds.
8   Because of this will the land not quake,
     And everyone who lives in it mourn?
     Indeed, all of it will rise up like the Nile,
     And it will be tossed about 
     And subside like the Nile of Egypt.
9   And it will come about on that day,” declares the Lord God,
     “That I will make the sun go down at noon,
     And make the earth dark in broad daylight.
10 Then I will turn your festivals into mourning,
     And all your songs into songs of mourning;
     And I will put sackcloth around everyone’s waist,
     And baldness on every head.
     And I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son,
     And the end of it will be like a bitter day.

11 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
     “When I will send a famine on the land,
     Not a famine of bread or a thirst for water,
     But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.
12 People will stagger from sea to sea 
     And from the north even to the east;
     They will roam about to seek the word of the Lord,
     But they will not find it.
13 On that day the beautiful virgins 
     And the young men will faint from thirst.
14 As for those who swear by the guilt of Samaria,
     And say, ‘As your god lives, Dan,’
     And, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives,’
     They will fall and not rise again.”

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

So many people think they are seeking and hearing God's words, but they are looking in all the wrong places.  All efforts in quenching one's thirst for purpose and the meaning of life will come to an end - unless it includes looking to the Lord for salvation!  All efforts of having a life filled with peace and joy is vanity and meaningless - unless it includes living in God's will, in His wisdom and strength.  

It is not about finding and getting what we WANT;  it starts with a sincere and intentional decision to want to know what we NEED!  Everything we need is found only in Jesus Christ the Lord.  And everything we need to know is found in His word.