We know the story about Jonah - Who flees from the lord.
He flees from the lord, Why does he has to flee and not stay where he was? He flees because for a reason. We can understand what he wanted to do on his own, When the Bible says that "But Jonah had gone below deck", When there was a storm - - 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid.
Its not just easy to go away from God's will for our lives, It's an act of disobedience. An act of unwillingness, unfaithfulness. It allows us to stumble in the storm, it puts us to sleep below the deck, it makes us to be afraid of everything. It made Jonah to be in the belly of the Fish.
The reason that Jonah gave after he turned back and after God's castenment, Jonah 4:2 NIV
He prayed to the LORD, "Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing 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.
Then God again teaches Jonah a lesson - For each of his question and his pride - For his determinations.
For what he said is -
1) The Factor of "I" - He said "Isn't this what I said", LORD, - This shows his pride.
2) Still at home - when I was still at home? - This shows his impatience for to know God's will.
3) The Prevention - That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. - The Justification for his failure, This kind of Justification is what we could find in the Garden of Eden, When Eve tries to justify the fault of the Serpent, and Adam on Eve.... The list goes on and on. But we always want the justification to be done for others, we want others to be punished for their sins, but we need forgiveness for our sins.
4) Knowledge - I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. What Jonah knew was the Gracious and compassionate God, Slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity - but one thing he forgot was that he never knew that he would end up in a Fish belly.
God taught him a perfect lesson, which is a lesson for us also when we try to run away from God's will for our lives, or when we question his sovereignty or power, or when we doubt.
We do know about the story of the Lost Son -
HAVE A GREAT AND A WONDERFUL BLESSED DAY AHEAD
Jonah 1
New International Version (NIV)
Jonah Flees From the Lord
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
He flees from the lord, Why does he has to flee and not stay where he was? He flees because for a reason. We can understand what he wanted to do on his own, When the Bible says that "But Jonah had gone below deck", When there was a storm - - 4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid.
Its not just easy to go away from God's will for our lives, It's an act of disobedience. An act of unwillingness, unfaithfulness. It allows us to stumble in the storm, it puts us to sleep below the deck, it makes us to be afraid of everything. It made Jonah to be in the belly of the Fish.
The reason that Jonah gave after he turned back and after God's castenment, Jonah 4:2 NIV
He prayed to the LORD, "Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing 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.
Then God again teaches Jonah a lesson - For each of his question and his pride - For his determinations.
For what he said is -
1) The Factor of "I" - He said "Isn't this what I said", LORD, - This shows his pride.
2) Still at home - when I was still at home? - This shows his impatience for to know God's will.
3) The Prevention - That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. - The Justification for his failure, This kind of Justification is what we could find in the Garden of Eden, When Eve tries to justify the fault of the Serpent, and Adam on Eve.... The list goes on and on. But we always want the justification to be done for others, we want others to be punished for their sins, but we need forgiveness for our sins.
4) Knowledge - I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. What Jonah knew was the Gracious and compassionate God, Slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity - but one thing he forgot was that he never knew that he would end up in a Fish belly.
God taught him a perfect lesson, which is a lesson for us also when we try to run away from God's will for our lives, or when we question his sovereignty or power, or when we doubt.
Jonah 4:6-11
New International Version (NIV)
6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant 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, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”
We do know about the story of the Lost Son -
Luke 15:11-32
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
In both the stories God likes to teach us and not punish us, when we see the parable of Lazarus or the parable of the Goat and Sheep, the parable of the wicked master or the parable of the wedding garments - Jesus always reminds us about the death and the punishment in hell, but in the above two stories, there is a very good and amazing ending, and ending that it with full of messages of God's faithfulness and love, his compassion and kindness - So, we ought to say to the Lord, "Lord I have sinned against Heaven (Against You) and if there were any situations or people or circumstances we ought to confess to our Heavenly Father, By this God will forgive us through Jesus - The Son and the Holy Spirit will guide us.
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