Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Choices and Chances

God clearly loves us and wants us to obey Him.  He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  He always provides just what we need at just the right time.  I'm thankful for all of these things and so much more.

I recently reread the book of Jonah and am amazed at how much is packed into one very short book of the bible.  I have been thinking and praying a lot about the word author and was pondering the many different directions that I could go in writing about the story of Jonah.  One of the blogs that I follow has given a challenge to their readers about writing and teaching.  I have learned that reading is helpful and summarizing what I've read is helpful too, as well as sharing with others. I am not sure that right now I am up to the whole challenge from this other blog I follow (it is a post each Friday), but I believe God is speaking to me about writing more.  So, I'm going to try to write more and hopefully through my writing, my readers will be blessed with learning too.  God is the Author of my life and I trust He will write through me.  I want to share His love and ask Him to love through me each day.

The book of Jonah begins in verses 1 and 2 with these words: The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach against it, because it's wickedness has come up before me."  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed to Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed to Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

Wow!  Again, the book of Jonah is short - only 4 chapters.  And the rest of the story has so much to teach us, but I'm going to stay on just those 2 verses for today.  God was SO clear with Jonah about where he wanted him to go, what he wanted him to do, and why he wanted him to do it.  Such clear direction and purpose.  And Jonah ran away.  He found a ship going in the opposite direction of where the Lord told him to go and far away too!  He fled from the Lord.

I often pray for clear direction from God.  It seems to me that clear direction would be the word of the Lord coming to me and telling me, "Go to.... and.... because...".   I am certain I have often given my own children such clear direction and I know I feel frustrated when they don't follow my directions.  I was recently having a conversation with some friends about the challenges of parenting and the frustrations we feel when our children don't listen to what we ask them to do.  Or when they do the complete opposite!  This is an area that I have been challenged with off and on throughout my years of parenting.  Some days are worse than others, for me and for my children.  Some days are great.  I strive to be consistent and always loving, but sometimes I do not succeed.  My friends and I laughed with each other and shared each other's burden about the challenges of parenting.  In the end, we prayed for each other that in all times, especially when we are in challenging times, we will remember to lean into Jesus and rely on Him.

Just as there are times when my children don't do what I ask, I also know that there are times when I hear God speak and yet out of my own selfishness I make my own choice, just like Jonah.  I'm thankful that God loves me so much that He forgives me and continues to provide new opportunities for me to learn - just like He did for Jonah in the rest of the story.

Thank you Jesus that You always made the right choice and set an example for me.  Thank you that you were always obedient to Your Father.  Thank you that you died for me and that you have provided second chances.  Thank you that You love me even when I don't follow the very clear directions you give to me.  Please help me desire the things that you desire and help me become more obedient to what you clearly ask me to do!

Warrior Sister Saints, Say that again - our God loves us and He died for our choices and chances.  My we be obedient and follow Him!