This past weekend, I heard a sermon about the book of Jonah. It is one of my favorite books in the bible, because there are so many things to draw from it. One of the previous lessons I taught, was about storms. We remember that Jonah was commissioned by God to go into Nineveh and preach the Word to them. However, Jonah fled from God and ended up in a big storm out at sea and was thrown from the ship by the crew, only to be swallowed up by a giant whale.
In the sermon, the preacher pointed out that throughout the storm, and even in the mouth of the whale, God never left Jonah. He was always with him. I have talked about storms before, and how everything good comes from God.
Though we may not understand why we must go through the storms in our lives, our faith urges us to trust that God has a plan and He is going to use the storm for good. Listening to the sermon Sunday, I began to think about all the storms that haunted me from my past. Now looking back I can see how God worked so perfectly to bring me out of the storm, as well as, He allowed me to go through those storms in order to bring me to the places He wanted me to be. He was continuously with me, teaching me and chasing after me to return to Him.
God was always chasing after Jonah, just as He chases after us. Look back at some of the storms in your life: What did you learn from the circumstance? Would your life be different now if you didn’t go through it? In what ways can you see how God worked behind the scenes?
Moving on in Jonah, we find that he finally accepted the daunting task of going into Nineveh to proclaim the message God gave him. Yet, even though God was working through everything Jonah was saying and doing, Jonah’s focus was not on God. Take a look at the following passage:
1 But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 2 He prayed to the LORD, "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. 3 Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live."
4 But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"
5 Jonah went out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the LORD God provided a vine and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the vine. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."
9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?" "I do," he said. "I am angry enough to die."
10 But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"
What Jonah was doing in Nineveh was no simple feat. The people of the city were notorious for their cruelty and sinful nature. Yet, through Jonah proclaiming the message of God, people began to change their ways. The pastor called it the “greatest revelation” in history. The King of Nineveh ordered that everyone (about 120,000 or more) including the animals, fast for 40 days in order to be right in the eyes of the Lord. Everyone in the city began to fear the Lord and repent for the sins they had committed.
Yet look at our prophet Jonah, he is more concerned about this measly vine. His gaze is on a simple plant, that comes and goes, seemingly meaningless in the eyes of God.
A story that comes to mind is a time when my husband and I were getting ready to go out for dinner with some friends and family. I felt rushed, and therefore stressed. My focus was on my unruly hair, or the task of trying to cover up the pimples that had suddenly sprouted all over my face. I couldn’t find anything to wear. Looking in my closet I began to have thoughts about not having enough money to afford nice new clothing. My focus was on these meaningless things. In my frustration, I wasn’t paying enough attention to my husband, who had been sitting on our bed, playing guitar and singing one of our favorite songs. Looking back I realize what a beautiful moment that would have been to share with him. Instead my focus was on what I did not have, instead of what I did have.
What are the plants in your life? Can we sometimes become so focused on the minor things in life, that we fail to see the glorious work that God is doing? Or the opportunity we all have to experience the grace of God? Yes, there will be storms in our lives. Yes there will be hard things that God commissions us to do.
God never leaves us, and He knows what He is doing. He is a God that doesn’t play by our rules. We can spend countless days and years trying to figure God out. Asking Why? Maybe the question we should be asking is What? What do you want me to see God? What is it that you are doing that you want me to pay attention to? Please reveal to me where my focus needs to be.
