Noah - Meekness

Noah endured unceasing rain for 40 days, and was on the boat for 150 days. During that time, he was powerless to do anything but wait and trust God would take care of him.

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky. The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible.

Noah was meek and powerless - and he literally ended up inheriting the earth.

I think Noah was in a time of testing. It seems to be that period where God says "I will be unseen and you will wait for me, and obey me. I will see how you come through." In some stories, people fail, in other stories they succeed - and I think Noah succeeded here.

Now I think about it, Noah is almost the exact opposite of Jonah, at least up to this point. Same overall pattern in the stories, very different hearts in these two men.

I have a lot of trouble with waiting to see what God is going to do. I hate waiting for "the water to recede." Being powerless to have any effect is very difficult for me to accept. I really think I'm at that stage in my life right now.

God, I hope I do well with this test. I know whether I do or I don't, you will be there to teach me more about who I am, and what I'm made of.

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Wednesdays | Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

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Noah - Mourning

This one is fairly obvious - everyone was killed except Noah and his family.

The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died. Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; people and animals and the creatures that move along the ground and the birds were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark.

Genocide.

God exterminated the vast majority of the human race at the time.

I can't even imagine how Noah and his family felt. Everything and everyone gone. Parents, siblings, friends, everybody died that day.

I wonder how God felt? It's even harder to fathom.

Why did God create a race that for the most part he was going to kill off? Only the DNA of a few people made it through to make us who we are today.

I don't know the answers to any of this. I do know that this story fits the pattern of the beatitudes really well. I did a post a while ago that has some of my thinking on it.

God, help me to understand you, and learn from what I read in your word. I don't really get this story, but I trust you are a good God.

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Tuesdays | Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

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Noah - Poor in Spirit

The story of Noah is a hard one to understand. Once I get past the mental picture of the ark and animals, I realize its a story of great evil, death and a restart of mankind.

All of mankind was poor in spirit:

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created - and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground - for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

The story is clear about how bad people were at that time, and that Noah was the only good one.

I'm fascinated that God regretted his decision to make mankind. Some versions say God repented.

I thought God didn't make mistakes, or change his mind, or regret anything. If he knew all that would happen, how did he come to this point, deciding to kill almost everyone?

I think God is not definable. He is, for the most part, unknowable while I'm here on earth. I only see little glimpses that give me clues to how he thinks. To try to bring him down to my level, where he made a bad decision that he tried to fix, is foolish.

I like this quote from Einstein: "I want to know how God created this world. I am not interested in this or that phenomenon, in the spectrum of this or that element. I want to know His thoughts; the rest are details."

So I accept that this was the way God decided to work it out. He didn't wipe out everyone, he kept the best seed for planting - Noah. Mankind would survive and  grow.

God, forgive me for all the evil I have done. Thank you for creating me and allowing me to live. I want to know your thoughts, even just a few of them.

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Mondays | Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

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Miracles - Peacemaker

The seventh miracle John wrote about was Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, which corresponds to the seventh beatitude recorded by Matthew. This is a long passage, but I will keep all of it here for clarity...

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

I think the whole reason for this miracle was for Jesus to demonstrate that he truly had power over life and death. He could actually bring peace between us and God. I think he needed to do this before he left to give his followers the courage and strength to survive.

Even though Jesus knew he could bring Lazarus back, he still cried in pain with his friends. I think he was reacting to their sorrow, being sad for what they had gone through.

Why did these people have to suffer, even for a short period of time? I don't know. I do know that pain and suffering are shown all over the bible as part of God's plan.

God, thanks for my son Josh, who read through a lot of my writing and was willing to talk with me about what he saw. I value his input and perspective. I love him.

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Sundays | Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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Miracles - Pure Heart

The sixth miracle John wrote about was Jesus healing a man who was born blind, which corresponds to the sixth beatitude recorded by Matthew:

Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

Once the guy is healed, the religious leaders start in on him. They don't like Jesus, and now they don't like this guy either.

The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

The guy is being honest with them about what happened, and they can't stand it. They kick him out of their church, probably to send a message to everyone else. Jesus finds him a bit later...

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

I like this miracle. It's very straightforward. The man was honest and didn't waver under pressure - pure in heart - and he saw God. That I would do the same when I need to.

God, thanks for a good day of visiting Samantha at OSU. I love my daughter and appreciate her very much.

Thanks for the day on the mountain I had with Nathan yesterday. I really enjoyed the talks we had while driving there and back. He's becoming a man, and I love him.

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Saturdays | Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

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Miracles - Mercy

The fifth miracle John wrote about Jesus walking on the water, which corresponds to the fifth beatitude recorded by Matthew:

When evening came (after feeding the 5000), Jesus's disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 

When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

The disciples were involved in the miracle of feeding people earlier in the day. Jesus specifically made them a part of the process of showing mercy. Then he sends them out across the lake as it was getting dark - then he walks on the water out to them.

It looks like a set-up to me.

The disciples are in the dark and on stormy water, and I'm guessing in trouble. Jesus shows them he has full control over the very thing threatening them. He has the power to be merciful.

I often doubt God has enough control over the world to actually deliver mercy to me. This is something I will continue to work on changing.

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A little note of caution before you read further: I'm pretty sure I'm not going nuts, and I'm going to go a bit longer than normal on this post...

Last week on Friday, I wrote about wishing I could extend my thoughts of kindness to Caleb (link). Last night I had a dream about him, the first since he died. The dream consisted of me seeing him, talking with him, hugging him, and then it ended. I don't even remember exactly what I said, but it was kind and he smiled that great smile.

What does this mean? I don't know.

Was it from God? I don't know. He knows I had it, that's all I can say.

Am I happy I had it? Yes. It gave me a good feeling - in my dream I acted as I hoped I would.

This is the best I can come up with: I have committed myself to a weekly cycle in my interactions with God. I have seen it play itself out on a number occasions, this being one of them. Last Friday I came to the decision in my heart that I would pursue kindness, and this small confirmation came to me this Friday, by God's mercy.

Is this going to become a big milestone for me? No. I don't want to talk about my dream, I want to talk about God and his goodness.

Here are some things I see in the word about this:

This weekly routine is what I think God wants for me. I have no direction for anyone else. Paul wrote: One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.

I will not get wrapped up in dreams. In the Torah: Do not practice divination or seek omens.

God, thank you for being merciful to me. Help me to show mercy.

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Fridays | Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

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Miracles - Hungry for Righteousness

The fourth miracle John wrote about was Jesus feeding the 5000, which corresponds to the fourth beatitude recorded by Matthew:

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Many of these people followed Jesus because they wanted good to happen. They were sick and injured, and they were looking for healing. They wanted their kids, spouses, parents, friends to be made well. What a good desire - to be made whole, for things to be made right.

I don't know how much healing went on, as it's not written down. But Jesus comes to the point where he supernaturally feeds all these people. He shows them all that he is indeed God.

Just for consideration: the fourth statement in the Lord's Prayer is "Give us our daily bread". Interesting to think about how all this fits together...

God, fill me me with these good things: kindness, compassion, forgiveness, love for others. 

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Thursdays | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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Miracles - Meekness

The third miracle John wrote about was a lame man laying near a pool, which corresponds to the third beatitude recorded by Matthew:

Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie - the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked...

... Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

This is an interesting story. From what I have read, every so often an angel would "stir the water" and whoever was the first in the pool would get cured. Sounds kind of wild - like a biblical game show - I'll leave that alone for now.

The man in this story is the picture of powerlessness. He can't walk in a city that's on a hill - there are stone stairs everywhere. He has no friends that will help him in the water. When Jesus asks him if he wants to get well, he can't even say "yes", instead he complains about his situation.

Jesus speaks to him twice.

The first time he heals his body, so he can walk. Jesus doesn't ask him any probing questions or make obscure statements. He doesn't even wait for the "yes", he just does it. The man is now mobile - he has gained access to the city he's never been able to walk through. He inherits a little bit of the earth.

The second time Jesus focuses on his soul. Even a lame person should have friends and be able to interact. I think Jesus is getting at this greater issue. This man needs to change his heart, or he will miss the whole point of his pain and healing.

God, there are areas in my life where I seem powerless to change - mainly my ego. I'm lame, locked into a single position, only able to complain about it. Like this guy, I guess I wait for an angel to come and zap me with the solution. I need to be healed, then get up and walk. Come and heal me.

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Wednesdays | Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

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Miracles - Mourning

The second miracle John wrote about is Jesus healing a man's son, which corresponds to the second beatitude recorded by Matthew:

Once more Jesus visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

“Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

The official was facing the death of his son, so of course he was mourning. He was begging Jesus to save his son's life.

The initial response Jesus gave to him is kind of hard for me to make sense of. I think he is stating a fact, more than trying tell the man he had done something wrong. He may be saying "belief in God is more important than life and death" - but I need to think about it more.

Regardless of what Jesus's real message was, he healed the man's son. In the end, the man and his family came to belief as well. I like to think they were comforted on two levels: the immediate and the eternal.

God, I know what it means to mourn. I also know what it means to receive comfort from you directly and from the people around me. Even in the midst of all the chaos, thank you for caring for me and my family - not only for now, but also eternity.

God, be with my wife Becky and the kids. Forgive their sins, be near to them, and give them comfort.

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Tuesdays | Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

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Miracles - Poor in Spirit

The book of John has seven miracles listed in it. While reading through them a couple of years ago, I realized that they matched the seven beatitudes recorded in the book of Matthew. This was the beginning of my understanding that God works in the same pattern over and over in the Bible.

The first miracle is Jesus changing water into wine:

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

There a number of interesting things going on here, but I'm going to focus on the people Jesus helped out.

• They ran out of wine. Why?
• They invited too many guests. Why?
• They wanted to look richer than they actually were. Why?
• They were "poor in spirit" - and they over extended themselves.

So Jesus shows up and not only bails these people out of an embarrassing situation, he makes them look look even richer than people already thought. They didn't ask him to - he took the signal from his mom and blessed these people.

I think within God's kingdom, I'm richer than I can imagine. I'm not limited by money or success or anything. I know God shows up and takes care of me, even when I don't ask.

I'm also poor in spirit - I can see myself in this story. I exaggerate the truth to make things look bigger than they are. I'm often not satisfied with the reality I have, so I have to make it better and more interesting. I really want people to think I'm "richer" than I am - thinking that it will make my life better. God, forgive me.

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Mondays | Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

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God's Blessing and Peace

This is a follow-up to my post on Friday about kindness.

I have been thinking about how I will daily tell my family how much they mean to me. I will try to deal with them as if today is all I have. After consideration, that's not enough.

I'm not their God.

They need his blessing, forgiveness and unconditional love - even more than mine. But for reasons I don't fully understand, he wants me to speak for him. I think it's for both their benefit and mine...

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

I want to daily put God's name on my family, I want him to bless them, and I want him to give them peace. This sounds good, but I think this is going to be hard work.

From the writer of the book of Hebrews:

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Why is speaking a sacrifice? What am I giving up?

For me, it's the same reason praying out loud every day is way more difficult than thinking it in my head. Something about speaking introduces a whole different reality. Putting God in the right position is hard for me to do a lot of the time.

God, help me to bless my family. Give them peace.

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Sundays | Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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Kindness

I have been traveling, so I didn't have time to do regular posting as I had hoped. I did have time to think though, and I hope some better writing will come of it.

All week I have thought about kindness: how important it is, how I admire it others, and how I have often lacked it.

I would give a year – no, five years – of my life to have ten minutes face-to-face with my son Caleb today. What would I hope to convey in those few minutes? Kindness. I would aim to only express my love and appreciation to him for being my son. I pray I wouldn't waste it on questions of “why” or my own feelings of hurt and loss. My own concerns now seem like garbage compared to the opportunity to show love and kindness.

With that thought in mind, how should I act towards Becky, Josh, Samantha and Nathan who are here with me right now? It’s easy for me to think about the idyllic bargain, to see the son who has died one last time in this life and convey a message from my heart. It’s hard to think beyond that to how I will live every day in reality, not fantasy.

When I think of the people I have known, there are many great attributes that come to mind: skill, intelligence, diligence, humor, leadership, faith, generosity, honesty. As I have thought about these people, the one trait that rises to top each time is kindness. How kind are they? How much do they give of themselves? Do the people around them feel loved, appreciated and respected?

These are new thoughts for me. I have not spent my life working towards being thought of as kind. I have tried to be seen as focused, intelligent, hard-working, funny, a good friend, faithful to my family, committed to God – but never kind.

It’s not that I haven’t been kind at times, but I have always thought of kindness as a commodity to be traded in the pursuit of these other things. When Caleb died, part of me died – and now in a sense, that part of me must be born again into something new. I think God wants it born into kindness. It’s one of the main qualities that people have spoken of and wrote about regarding Caleb, so it’s fitting that I need to grow into it and carry it on.

Paul said: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

I need to start with my family. I want to have that “last conversation” of love and kindness daily with them, for as long we are together.

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Fridays | Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

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Jonah - Peacemaker

The story of Jonah runs out, and he never changes his heart to be a peacemaker. So I will make a few interesting (at least to me) observations I had over the week.

God's plans don't always work the way he wants. I say this from my limited perspective - no disrespect to God intended. He wanted Jonah to change, but that didn't happen.

The idea that God won't use me unless I'm willing is false. He forced Jonah to do the job, as an absolutely unwilling participant. He is God, I am not.

Jonah had a change of heart while he was in the fish, but it didn't last. I don't even know if I would call it a "change of heart". I think the parable Jesus gave explains it well:

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 

When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 

The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 

But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

I think Jonah was someone with "no root" on this issue. I wonder if God's small demonstration to him about the plant having its root eaten away had some deeper meaning in it. I also like the parallel between this parable and the idea that the "word of God" came to Jonah and he had a lot of trouble with it, so he fell away from what he said inside the fish.

So at the end of this week, I'm amazed at how God put so much together to try to get to the heart of this man. Throughout the drama of the story, God is persistent in trying to get Jonah to change and grow.

Did Jonah get it? No.
Did God give up? No.

God thank you for being with me, even when I don't get it and my roots are shallow. Thank you for your persistence in making peace.

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Sundays | Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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Jonah - Pure in Heart

So far in the story, it's obvious that God doesn't need Jonah to change the Ninevites. This story is about God trying to change Jonah's heart.

After God forgives the people, he talks with Jonah...

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah had gone 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. 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. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 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.”

He doesn't answer God's question. He is unwilling to take that first step toward changing his heart - it's easier to die. So God simplifies things to get the conversation moving forward, by focusing on a plant.

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.”

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. 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?”

Jonah is not going to give in, and the story abruptly ends here. In the past I have thought that maybe a final chapter was lost over the years. I can see know that this is a fitting ending - since Jonah won't engage with God, so there is nothing more to say.

My conclusion so far: God will manipulate my circumstances to get me to change, but he won't force a change in my heart. That's up to me. I think this is where my "free will" comes in to play.

• Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. - Viktor Frankl 

Rather than my own prayer to God, I'll quote one from King David: Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

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Saturdays | Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

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Jonah - Mercy

God used Jonah as the vehicle for his mercy, and Jonah hated it:

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 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. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah was so angry about God forgiving these people, that he went back to wanting to die. As I stated in and earlier post, his grudge and hate ran so deep, he could not accept God's mercy toward them.

At this point, there is some irony in the story. Everybody has changed except Jonah.

The men on the ship turned to God.
The king and people of Nineveh turned to God, and their animals too.
God turned from his anger and forgave them.

Only Jonah is stuck and won't turn. His anger and sense of justice won't let him, understanding that the Ninevites were a very brutal and cruel people (see this link for info).

God, I don't want to be stuck - and I know I often am. I have made my decisions about who I will reach out to, and who deserves your forgiveness. I know in my head that no one really deserves your mercy, and that it's your love that's the driving force for good. In my heart, I often think that I deserve it and others don't.

God, thank you for your mercy towards me. Help me to be merciful toward others.

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Fridays | Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

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Jonah - Hungry for Righteousness

After submitting to God, Jonah went to Nineveh and told them that disaster was coming:

Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

They responded immediately:

When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

Why did a powerful city of over 100,000 people listen to some foreign guy that probably looked horrible and stank like fish vomit? I don't know. I guess God was already working on them.

The main thing is that they knew what to do: become hungry and thirsty for righteousness. They took aggressive action to immediately clean up their lives in hopes of pleasing God and avoiding destruction.

God, I wonder what aggressive action you want me to take in my life?

Like these people did, I will call on you. I will give up my violence towards others - my grudges, my judgement, my unforgiveness, my disdain for people.

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Thursdays | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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Jonah - Powerless

Instead of dying as he intended, Jonah is trapped inside a giant fish for three days, powerless to do anything. He finally calls out to God to be saved.

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said:

In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me...

... Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’

And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

I like the literalness of Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth in this story. Jonah cries out to God in his powerless state and he gets put on to dry earth.

The most interesting thing to me is that he ends up praising God. Initially, he ran away and tried to kill himself to avoid God. Then he sits in fish for three days not talking to God. Finally, he reached out to God, he shifts from asking for help to talking about how great God is.

I think this is why God inflicts and allows pain in my life: so I come to my senses. This is not God pushing me so I say good things about him. This is me responding to the understanding that I have a connection to the creator of everything.

Paul wrote: No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

God, these days I have often felt like I'm trapped. I don't know how to fix things, or make them easier for my family. I see myself, my wife, and my kids struggling with loss - I can't make it go away.

God, I have called on you and you have heard my cry for help. You have strengthened me and given me hope. My salvation can only come from you.

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Wednesdays | Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

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Jonah - Mourning

Once the ship set sail with Jonah on it, God caused a huge storm: Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

Things kept getting worse. Jonah knew God was after him, and his answer was to commit suicide...

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So the crew asked Jonah, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah had gone insane.

He would rather die than do what God had asked him to do. His grudge against those people must have ran so deep that he could not fathom reaching out to them. Hate had top priority.

An interesting point in the story is that the people around Jonah were in terror and mourning due to his disobedience. This didn't only affect him. He brought pain on the people who were with him.

In a "spiritual" way, Jonah had died. Jesus used Jonah as an example when talking about his own upcoming death: For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

God, I can't even begin to understand how my own grudges and lack of forgiveness have done damage. It's so hard to ask you this, but show me the effects of my failed relationships. I'm willing to face the regret - and I need your comfort as I do it.

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Tuesdays | Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

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Jonah - Poor in Spirit

This week I'm looking at the story of Jonah - the guy who got swallowed by a huge fish. It's kind of an outlandish story, and not just the part being at the bottom of the sea for three days. God interacts with this uncooperative guy in a fairly strange way.

The story starts out by making it really clear that Jonah's heart is not aligned with God's:

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.

God asks Jonah to do something, and Jonah immediately takes off in the other direction. He doesn't just ignore God, or argue with him. He runs away. These people in Nineveh were the enemies of the Jews.

This story is my story a lot of the time. I know I'm supposed to go to people I don't have a good relationship with, and I avoid it. I know in my head it's God's desire is that I would reach out to my "enemies". But in my heart, they can rot.

God forgive me.

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Mondays | Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.

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Peacemaker Bill

This is my good friend Bill Tate, teaching the kids this morning about the Ten Commandments. Don't worry, I don't think he normally stands on the table...

Why is he up there? Because he cares.

He cares that the kids have fun
He cares that the kids understand the lesson
He cares that the kids know he loves them
He cares that the kids know God loves them
He cares that the kids come to know God himself

This is what Jesus said about children:

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” 

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

It's an honor to know this man.

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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed is Bill Tate, for he will be called a child of God.

The Road of Change

My goal in 2013 is to be changed by God.

A well-known passage by Paul: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I often feel like the mustard seed I wrote about earlier. I have this inkling of what God wants me to become, and I need to go through His process of change to fully embrace it. So this year, I hope to look at how he changes people and situations in the bible and try to understand how it applies to me.

I want to become more compassionate, giving and fruitful - I want to be a peacemaker. The hard work is going to be the honesty it's going to demand from me.

King David wrote: Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Asking God to test me is a terrifying thought, but I trust him and know he's good.

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God, I know you have me on the road of change. Help me to stay on it and walk with you.