Monday Thought -- March 31, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” (Zechariah 4:10)

Zerubbabel’s contribution to the eternal work of God wasn’t a big thing, he just got the work on the rebuilding of the temple started. It wasn’t miraculous. It didn’t take superhuman wisdom or strength. It was just a building project. But it mattered to God, and it mattered to people, too.

Small things do make a difference in God’s work in this world.

It was just a little boy’s lunch, a very small thing. When his mother packed the lunch at the start of the day it was just a routine act that she had duplicated day after day. But God took that very small thing and astounded people with it -- Jesus used it to feed a whole crowd of people.

They were only five small rocks, coupled with a simple sling. Every boy in Israel had a weapon-toy like that. They hurled rocks at rabbits and birds and twigs. No one in the world would have been impressed by that sling and those rocks. Yet, God took those very small things and a boy named David and killed a giant with them.

It was a little basket that could float. It was nothing complicated, nothing extraordinary. But God put the baby Moses in that very small thing and started a course that would change history for the whole nation of people and the whole world.

Small things matter to God. God takes even small things and uses them for marvelous eternal purposes. All of things that we do for God are such small things -- but they matter to Him! They matter to what He wants to do in the world!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- March 28, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. He asked me, ‘What do you see?’ I answered, ‘I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.’ I asked the angel who talked with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ He answered, ‘Do you not know what these are?’ ‘No, my lord,’ I replied. So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD Almighty.’” (Zechariah 4:1-6)

This was a strange vision that Zechariah received from the Lord. Scholars have spent years debating the meaning of all the details contained in this vision. But the main point is not in the details, the main point is the final phrase of this section: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord!

What do you rely upon in your life?

Do you really think that your own strength and your own talents and your own training can keep your life headed in the right direction and enable you to accomplish all that God wants you to accomplish? Zerubbabel was the leader of Israel and his strength wasn’t enough to accomplish what God wanted him to do when he brought the people of Judah back from their captivity in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem. It was the enabling power of God by His Spirit that allowed Zerubbabel and the people he led to do what God gave them the opportunity to do.

If you think some he-man (or she-woman) effort will be enough for anything worthwhile, you’re deluded. Everything worth accomplishing, everything worth giving your life to, can be accomplished only by relying on the Lord. Strong men and strong women fall. Weak men and weak women who lean on the Lord succeed!!

Memorize it and repeat it to yourself often: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought – March 27, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (Zechariah 3:8-10)

The prophet Zechariah spoke of the coming of Jesus. He would be the servant of God -- coming to do God’s will and accomplish God’s plan.

Jesus is referred to as the Branch. A branch is something that comes forth from something else, the tree. On the one hand, Jesus would be a branch from the root of Jesse, coming through the house and line of David. But He would also be the Branch of God, coming directly from the Father -- a part of Him!

What Jesus would accomplish was going to be marvelous, even miraculous. In one single day He would remove the sin from the land. The battle to conquer sin would be fought to the death on that one day, and Jesus would come out victorious!

The battle with the consequences of sin is not an ongoing battle that we fight, but something that Jesus has fully accomplished on the cross. The consequences of sin has been removed by the one act of Jesus!

What a marvelous thing to have happen for us! In Christ, we are no longer guilty. Our sins are taken away. We have been washed clean.

What do we do with that forgiveness?  Zechariah says that we will share it with our neighbors and invite them to enjoy the same blessings that we know. Forgiveness is not to be guarded and kept for ourselves, but shared with all who will listen.

Is there someone around you that needs the forgiveness that you have already found in Jesus?  Will you share the message of forgiveness with them?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- March 26, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the angel who was speaking to me said, ‘Proclaim this word: This is what the LORD Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, but I am very angry with the nations that feel secure. I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.” Therefore, this is what the LORD says: “I will return to Jerusalem with mercy, and there my house will be rebuilt. And the measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem,” declares the LORD Almighty. Proclaim further: “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘My towns will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and choose Jerusalem.’”’” (Zechariah 1:14-17)

The word of Zechariah is that the Lord never abandons His people!

The people of Judah were living in captivity in Babylon. The city of Jerusalem had been laid waste by the Babylonians. It was a time of discipline for the people of Judah. They had drifted away from the Lord and God brought judgment upon them as a wake-up call to get them to return to Him. He’d tried less severe judgment and it had not been effective. Now, He was using severe judgment -- captivity and destruction. But despite the severe judgment, God had not abandoned His people.

God was promising Judah a new day. He would return His people to the land He had given them. He would cause Jerusalem to be rebuilt. A new temple would sit upon the mountain of God and people would flow to it in worship. Prosperity and peace would return to the land of Judah. That was God’s promise through Zechariah. God had not forgotten His people.

God never forgets us and does not abandon us. There may be times of discipline in our lives, even judgment sent to wake us up and get us to repent and return to the Lord. But even in times of discipline and judgment, God does not abandon us. He wants us back and works to bring us back.

God never abandons His people! He will never abandon you!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- March 25, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the LORD. Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers? Then they repented and said, ‘The LORD Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’” (Zechariah 1:4-6)

There are only a few things that you can count on being around next generation and the generation after that and on into the future. Consider how things have changed just in your own lifetime. Things change rapidly, and what seems so important and new becomes outdated and useless very quickly.

People don’t last, either. The reality of life is that the years of a man’s life pass quickly and then death overtakes them. Leaders and influential people of the past have gone away. People can be counted on for a while, but they don’t last forever, not on earth.

But there is one thing that you can count on being here. It was here when your great-grandparents were in their prime -- and even when your great-grandparents’ great-grandparents were in theirs. It will be here when your great-grandchildren are mature and it will be here for every succeeding generation after them.

The Word of the Lord can be counted on to be around as long as the earth is -- and beyond it! Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)

God’s Word can always be counted on. It can’t be destroyed and it will never change!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- March 24, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (Haggai 2:6-9)

At the urging of the prophet Haggai, the people who had returned from captivity in Babylon began to rebuild the temple. But the people of Haggai’s day did not have the resources of the people of Solomon’s day when the first temple was built. In Solomon’s day, the nation was at its height in power and wealth and the temple that Solomon built was a marvelous building. They did their best in Haggai’s day with the building of the second temple, but it did not measure up to the outward beauty of Solomon’s temple. “Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?” (Haggai 2:3)

The temple may have lacked more than just outward glory. It also may have lacked some of the things that made the first temple special. The most significant of those things was the Ark of the Covenant. The ark had been with the people of Israel since the days of Moses. It had resided in the tabernacle and transferred to the first temple. It represented God’s presence. Yet, it may have been destroyed by Babylon and although a replacement could be built, it would not have the same force to the people as that first Ark.

But God promised through Haggai that although the outward glory of this second temple would not equal the outward glory of the first temple, He would fill it with a new and unique glory. “The desired of the nations will come, and fill this house with glory.” “The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house.” “In this place I will grant peace.”

True to His word, God fulfilled this promise. It would be to this second temple that God would send His Son! In its courtyards, Jesus would preach, offering peace, His eternal peace. No glory of gold or outward finery could compare to that glory!

God’s glory is not about gold and silver and earthly splendor. God’s glory is about His presence and His work.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- March 21, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘These people say, “The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.”’ Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ‘Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’ Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’  --- ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.’” (Haggai 1:2-6, 9)

The message of the prophet Haggai is about priorities. The people of Judah had been allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their land. That was a marvelous blessing from the Lord. When they arrived there were many things that needed to be done in the city that had been destroyed by the Babylonians.

They busied themselves with building new houses for themselves and getting life back into order. They had to reestablish their businesses, get their fields back into shape to produce crops and restore all of the things that are necessary for ordinary life.

All the things they did were good things that needed to be done.

But while doing all of those good things, they neglected rebuilding God’s temple. They reasoned that there were more needful things to which to give their attention. They decided they would build the temple later. But they kept delaying the temple, finding other things to give attention to first.

Finally, God showed them there was something wrong with their priorities. They worked hard at farming, but the crops they produced weren’t as good as they should have been. They never seemed to be able to find satisfaction in how their lives were going. Their money never seemed to go as far as it should. All those things were God’s discipline because their priorities were wrong.

Misplaced priorities are a common pattern of life. We put off the Lord because there are so many other things about life that clamor for our attention. We say, “We’ll give attention to the Lord later.” But always new things arise that take our attention and we keep putting off the Lord.

How are your priorities?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- March 20, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. ‘LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.’” (Habakkuk 3:1-2)

History contains the accounts of some marvelous works of God: the flood, the birth of Isaac to two very old parents, the deliverance of Israel from Egypt through Moses, manna and quail from heaven, water flowing from a rock, the sun standing still to give Israel more time to win a battle, David killing Goliath, Daniel in the lions’ den -- and those are just a few of the miraculous deeds God did that are recorded in the Old Testament. Those, and many others, are the acts Habakkuk thought about as he prayed.

There are more that are recorded in the New Testament: the healings Jesus did, walking on water and calming storms, feeding 5000 with a small lunch, raising Lazarus, His own resurrection and ascension, Pentecost, His miraculous intervention in Saul’s life on the road into Damascus -- and we could go on.

There are many more that are not recorded in the Old or New Testament, that have occurred since those books were closed to new accounts. God still heals. God still answers prayer. God still intervenes in the lives of His people. God has stopped whole nations, turning hearts to Him, bringing revival. God has transformed countless lives in astounding ways.

Which miracles of God would you like to see repeated in our own time? Personally, I’d like to see another revival like some that I’ve read about, even in American history -- thousands of people, whole towns, turning to the Lord. The society being transformed by what God has done among them. We could sure use that!

Have you prayed Habakkuk’s prayer for our own time?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- March 19, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?” (Habakkuk 2:6)

“Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!” (Habakkuk 2:9)

“Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime!” (Habakkuk 2:12)

“Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.” (Habakkuk 2:15)

“Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.” (Habakkuk 2:19)

The wicked prosper. There seems to be nothing that happens to stop them from continuing their wickedness. What they do hurts those around them, yet no one comes to the aid of the victims.

But remember this: it will not always be this way!

Habakkuk prophesies of a day when justice will come and with justice will come judgment on those who bring wickedness on others. God will not allow wickedness to go unpunished forever.

In that day, “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)

When the day of justice come, then everyone will know there is a God in heaven. No one will be able to ignore Him.

When the day of justice come, the glory of God and His righteousness will be evident to all and all will respond appropriately: “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)

Watch for the day of justice. Long for the day of justice. Pray for the day of justice. Prepare for the day of justice.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- March 18, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. ‘Look at the nations and watch -- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.’” (Habakkuk 1:2-5)

Why doesn’t God answer the moment we cry out for help?

Things were bad in Judah during Habakkuk’s days. There were still a few righteous people, like this prophet. When he cried out to God, asking that He do something, why didn’t God respond?

It certainly wasn’t because God didn’t care about what was going on among His people. It certainly wasn’t because God couldn’t act, because His hands were tied. It wasn’t because He didn’t know what to do.

God didn’t respond because the time wasn’t right.

Perhaps He was waiting in patience giving Judah additional time to repent. Perhaps it was because His plan took time to develop among those He would use to accomplish it. God doesn’t work on our time schedule. God works on His own time schedule, a schedule that is right and perfect, worth waiting for.

Habakkuk’s request did not go unheard. When the time was right God would respond. He promised to act in ways that would shock Habakkuk, “you would not believe, even if you were told.”

Be patient and wait for God. You’ll be surprised by how He marvelously acts!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- March 17, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be cut off and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, [O Judah,] I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.’ The LORD has given a command concerning you, [Nineveh]: ‘You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the carved images and cast idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.’ Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed.” (Nahum 1:12-15)

The book of Nahum contains a sad story. Nineveh was given an opportunity to repent under the preaching of Jonah and they did. The entire city repented, turning away from their sin and to the Lord. It was a day of God’s compassion and patience. They had been enemies of His people, but He had given them another chance.

Now in the days Nahum years after Jonah they were back to their old ways. They had turned away from the Lord again and were coming against God's people. The word of Nahum was that time had run out for Nineveh. In Jonah’s day the word was “repent and you will be saved from destruction.” In Nahum’s day the opportunity to repent was not presented, only the word that destruction was coming. God’s patience with Nineveh had run out!

Nineveh thought it was so strong. It had so many allies that it thought it could not be defeated. It was prosperous and comfortable. Yet, God was coming against it and nothing would stand in the way of its destruction. Nineveh would be completely destroyed.

At times it looks like the enemies of God are so successful and so strong that they will never fall. Sometimes it looks like the forces of evil have won the battle. But that’s not an evidence of their victory, rather, it is an evidence of God’s patience. And God’s patience will eventually run out and His enemies will be destroyed -- count on it!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- March 14, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Nineveh]; he will pursue his foes into darkness.” (Nahum 1:3-8)

The Lord is slow to anger and great in power. The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.

Thank God for those characteristics of His. We rely upon those characteristics. Without them we would have no hope. He is patient with us, not bringing punishment upon us when we deserve it, but waiting for us to come back to Him. He has great power and willingly and lovingly uses it for our benefit. What He does in our lives is good. He guides us and provides for us and helps us. We can run to Him when we are troubled and hurt and find that He is always there, ready to help. His love for us is deep and eternal. He can be relied upon.

But there is another side to God. Though slow to anger, He will display His anger to those who do not come to Him. There is a limit to God’s patience. While He patiently waits for people to turn to Him, there will come a day when that patience will end and His wrath will be poured out on them. The power of the Lord to do good in our lives is awesome, but so is His power to punish. It will be like an overwhelming flood that destroys those who do not respond to His love.

So -- thank God that His love has reached you and you are bound to Him in that love. And realize what a fierce anger awaits those who do not come to God -- and look for opportunities to point people toward His love.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- March 13, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.” (Micah 7:18-20)

Consider these characteristics of God --- and give thanks!

He pardons sin. He doesn’t hold our sins against us, requiring us to pay the full penalty for what we’ve done wrong. He releases us from the penalty of our sins when we come to Him.

He forgives our transgressions. It’s more than just pardon that we receive, it’s forgiveness. Pardon releases us from the penalty, forgiveness restores us to His love, cleanses our record so that our sins are gone.

He does get angry at our sins, but His anger is a constructive anger, not a destructive anger. He moves to discipline us because of our sin in order to bring us to repentance and restore us.

He delights to show mercy. He shows mercy, and we give thanks for that. But even more than that, He shows mercy, not grudgingly, but with delight. He wants to be merciful to us and is waiting to be able to do it when we turn back to Him.

He has compassion on us. All that God does for us flows from the depth of His love for us.

He keeps His promises. He proved that in His relationship with Judah. Even when Judah was unfaithful, God kept His promises to them. He always keeps His promises.  So when He promises never to leave us -- we can count on that. When He promises to help us -- count on it. When He promises to come again -- count on it!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- March 12, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:6-8)

The Old Testament is full of ceremonies in which the Jews were commanded to participate. It describes in great detail the rituals they were to go through in presenting themselves to the Lord. The sacrifices they were required to bring were many, all carefully proscribed for them by the Law.

Were ceremonies, rituals, and sacrifices what the Lord was really interested in from His people? Done from a right heart, those were meaningful to the Jews and meaningful to God, too. But ceremonies, rituals and sacrifices were not what God was most interested in seeing from His people. He was most interested in their hearts and the actions that flowed from their hearts.

The New Testament contains ceremonies and rituals, too, and gifts that we are asked to bring to God. Sacrifices have been done away with as we are fully covered in the one sacrifice of Jesus, but there are other gifts that we are to bring to God. Baptism, communion, tithes, offerings -- done from a right heart, these are meaningful in our lives and meaningful to the Lord, too. But these are not what God is most interested in from us. He is most interested in our hearts and in the actions that flow from our hearts.

Humility before God. A heart that looks more and more like His heart -- forgiving and kind. Actions that flow from that heart. Those are the things God is looking for in His people. Those are things He is looking for in you!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- March 11, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” (Micah 4:1-3)

Micah paints a beautiful picture of days that are coming -- in the last days. They will be days when peoples and nations will stream to the Lord, seeking His guidance and His will. That hasn’t happened yet. The remnant has come to the Lord – the few. But peoples and nations still align themselves against Him. They seek their own will and follow their own guidance. But better days are coming.

They will be days when people and nations will allow the Lord to settle their disputes. They will recognize His sovereignty and His wisdom and turn to Him for help. That hasn’t happened yet. Peoples and nations believe they have the answers, that they are right and their neighbors are wrong. To settle their disputes they turn to conflict and war. But better days are coming.

They will be days of peace. Not just days when there will be an absence of war, but true days of peace. Days in which there is not even a perceived need for weapons and defenses. That hasn’t happened yet. Conflicts and wars have always been going on somewhere in the world. Even in the days of greatest peace, nations have still felt the need to be strong in their defense to ensure the peace would continue. But better days are coming.

When will those days come? I don’t know. I only know those days have not yet come. And I know that God, through Micah, has promised them -- in the last days. Always walk in hope -- better days are coming!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- March 10, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“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. 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. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the vine 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.’ 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.’ 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. 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?’” (Jonah 4:5-11)

God provided this object lesson for Jonah to point out a truth to him. Jonah had nothing to do with the life and death of the vine that sheltered him. It was not under his control in any way. Yet, he grew attached to it. It was important to him because of what it provided for him. It was so important to him that he was ready to die because it withered away.

The point God was making was that the vine was important to Jonah, even though he had no responsibility for it and did nothing to bring it about. How much more deeply would Jonah feel about something that he made and for which he felt great responsibility. Such was God’s concern for the people of Nineveh. God was concerned about them because He had made them and provided for them and felt responsible for them. They were so important to God that, despite their sinfulness, He would go to great lengths to try to bring them back to Him, to give them another chance to repent.

Jonah could not understand God’s concern for Nineveh. To Jonah they were just an enemy for whom there should be rejoicing when they were destroyed. For God, they were His dearly loved creation and His responsibility.

Consider how important your children are to you and to what extent you will go to provide for them and protect them. Such is God’s attitude toward all the people of the world. They are his most dearly loved creation and He will go to any lengths to bring them back to Him.

And God has invited us to be a part of that endeavor which is so important to Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- March 7, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 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. Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ But the LORD replied, ‘Have you any right to be angry?’” (Jonah 4:1-4)

When Nineveh repented, God relented and did not send the destruction He had been prepared to send upon them. God’s action was an evidence of His grace. The people of Nineveh deserved destruction. Their actions had already earned it. But God was gracious and compassionate toward them to provide them another chance.

The strange thing is that Jonah was angry with God because of His grace toward the people of Nineveh. What a strange attitude for a preacher! That attitude probably came out of Jonah’s sense of fairness -- Nineveh deserved destruction. There was probably some fear in it, too. Nineveh was the enemy of Israel, if God did not destroy the city perhaps it would once again come against Jonah’s people.

What is so strange is that Jonah and his own people had received and were continuing to receive God’s grace. They, too, deserved destruction, many times, but received, instead, opportunity after opportunity to turn back to God.

Jonah had no right to be angry about God’s grace. He should have been rejoicing in God’s grace for Nineveh, even as he rejoiced in God’s grace toward himself and his own people.

The next time you wonder about the fairness of some evil person receiving God’s grace, remember that you, too, have received God’s grace. You received His grace when you definitely didn’t deserve it.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- March 6, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city -- a visit required three days. On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news 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.” (Jonah 3:3-6)

When Jonah obeyed the Lord and God used him in a mighty way. Nineveh was an enemy of God’s people. Yet, when they heard the word of the Lord they knew it was true. Their response to God’s message was as good as anyone’s response ever has been. Immediately, they believed God. Immediately, they repented and cried to God for forgiveness.

It was a revival of great proportions in the city of Nineveh. “From the greatest to the least” repented. Even the king of Nineveh demonstrated repentance and humbled himself before God.

All of this happened because Jonah obeyed God and did what God asked him to do. God’s plan didn’t make sense to Jonah. These were the enemies of God’s people. But God knew what He was doing when He asked Jonah to go and preach among them.

God always knows what He is doing. When God stirs your heart to talk to someone about Him, even the person you think is least likely to respond, obey the voice of God. There is no one beyond His reach.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- March 5, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD. And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:3-10)

It took a violent storm, being thrown overboard, and being swallowed by a great fish to wake Jonah up to what he had done. But in the belly of the fish, Jonah came to repentance. There are three statements of repentance in this passage:

“I will look again to your holy temple.”

“I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you.”

“What I have vowed I will make good.”

Jonah turned back to the Lord, cried out to Him for help, and committed himself to obedience to even those things he did not want to do. That’s what repentance is -- turning back to God and agreeing to walk in the path God puts before us, rather than our own path.

When Jonah came to repentance, God came to his aid – “The fish vomited Jonah onto dry land.” As soon as Jonah was willing to be obedient to God’s call, God released him from the perilous discipline he was under.

When we turn away from the Lord, repentance is what God is looking for from us -- just as He did from Jonah.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- March 4, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

“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 the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.’” (Jonah 2:1-2)

God hears our cries of distress.

When life is crashing in around you and there is nowhere else to turn, God is there to listen to your cry. God won’t turn His children away, no matter how late it is when they call on Him. They may have ignored Him, disobeyed Him, run away from Him, but when they cry out, they find Him right there.

That was what the prodigal found, too. He ran away from his family, his morals, and from God. When he finally came to the end of himself, in the depth of his despair, he cried out to God, and God was there.

Jonah was in the belly of a great fish and that’s probably where he prayed his best prayer ever! He knew he needed God. He was desperate, hopeless, except for God. He called out from his “grave” and that’s exactly what he thought it was. He thought he was as good as dead. He cried out and God was right there.

Paul reminds us, “God is not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:27)

That’s true no matter where we are. It’s true no matter how far we have strayed from God. It’s true no matter how long we’ve been gone from the Lord. It’s true no matter what we’ve gotten ourselves into.

But --- we don’t have to wait until our life is a mess to call out to God. He’s right there now, too, even when things are calm! He’s always waiting for us to call out to Him.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- March 3, 2014

Good Morning Friends,

Jonah was running away from the Lord, unwilling to be obedient to His call. He boarded a ship that was headed toward Tarshish. But God wasn’t willing to let Jonah go. God pursued Jonah.

“Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” (Jonah 1:4)

The storm was an evidence of God’s love. God was not willing to let Jonah leave Him.  God wanted Jonah back and He pursued Him. He sent the storm to get Jonah’s attention and turn him back in the right direction. It became obvious that the storm was specifically sent to deal with Jonah.

“Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.” (Jonah 1:15)

As soon as the others on the ship threw Jonah into the sea, the sea grew calm again. God wanted Jonah and He was willing to go to great lengths to get him back.

“But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17)

The great fish was a further evidence of God’s love for Jonah. The fish was Jonah’s salvation. Without the fish he would have drowned in the sea. But God provided the fish as a place of safe refuge for Jonah. It was his retreat, a place where he could consider what he was going to do with God and the call of God on his life.

God loved Jonah and would not let him get away with leaving Him. God pursued Jonah to bring him back and set him again on the right road.

Remember that God loves you like He loved Jonah. He won’t let you go without a fight, either.

His, by Grace,

Steve