Jonah 4

Jonah was angry at the Lord for being compassionate and merciful to the people of Nineveh. He was angry that God granted them salvation. Jonah was angry despite having had the same thing happen to him: He was away from God but God lifted him out of darkness. Jonah was thankful for himself but he didn't feel the same way for the Ninevites.

This is a small but important lesson. I am thankful that God has been good to me and has granted me many things that I have or never asked. He makes sure that I well. When something good also happens to someone else, I sometimes get jealous or feel down that it didn't happen to me. God gives and takes, and everything that I have does not belong to me but to Him. God gives and takes different things from different people, each to help that particular individual grow in the truth and love. I need to take up the cross and reflect God's character: thankful for what I already have, supportive to others around me regardless of my or their circumstances, and bringing all the glory back to our God.

Jonah 3

The Ninevites repented their evil ways and God was compassionate on them. He did not end up bringing about a disaster on the city.

Every thing, big or little, that is not of God's way should be repented and I need to ask for forgiveness. I am lucky that the Son of God already sacrificed himself to atone for my sins, but repenting is a way for me to still acknowledge my own deep sin. Letting go and being aware of the our sin will help us take a step closer to being in God's image.

Jonah 2

Why is it that so often we seek the Lord only when we're in distress? When things aren't going according to plan, that's when we pray and ask for God's help. It's a mentality that I need to work on. I need to practice seeking and finding God in every moment, good and bad. We learn the most when things don't go the way we want but there's always something to learn even when things seem to be doing alright.

Today I met up with my mentor and I praise God for being in the conversation. I learned about how biblical and God's authority relate to one another, and we had a great discussion about evangelism in today's cultural context. It's hard to walk through these books and theories alone, but God blessed me with an older sister whom I can learn from and walk together with. After talking about the different issues today, it challenges me to think about each of them and how to apply them to my own life... of course in such a way that it glorifies God and also helps me grow as His disciple. 

God is loving God. Whatever circumstances we may be in, He will answer our call for Him. It's not always in an explicit way but through the unusual and unexpected. 

Jonah 2:4

I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.'

Do I look and think things through God-driven lenses? Not always, but I should. A perspective that incorporates love, care, wisdom, boldness, and challenge.

No matter how deep and dark things can become, we can be hopeful that any sliver of light can be enough to change things. 

My grandma isn't doing well. She has lived a long life but she does not know the Lord. I need to have the courage to ask my dad to share the Gospel with her. He himself is not a devoted follower but planting the seed may be enough for God to work in my grandma's heart. Knowing God for seconds and minutes can be enough to change her view of life in general. 

Jonah 7-9

"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 a beautiful verse. Straightforward but encouraging. The grace that can be found in Jesus Christ may be a hard concept to grasp, but the eternal and wonderful life that one can receive later on can be a motivating factor to change our ways now. I need to let go of my hold of money and security, and let God be the king.

Jonah was saved by grace alone. He didn't deserve to live after having run away from God's calling for him. But God grants us life even when we don't deserve it. He is the sovereign king who loves us to no bounds.

Jonah 1

Right from the get go of the chapter I can already relate to Jonah. I do not understand everything, let alone something that God may be calling me to do... and I run away from the difficulty and challenges. That's the wrong attitude to approach God's will, knowing that it is to help me grow deeper with Him and benefit me.

God can intervene at any time. I forget that He can change things with the snap of His fingers. So why try and evade the goodness of the Lord?

God uses the most unexpected ways to reveal Himself to us. He used the raging sea and the great fish to teach Jonah not to run away from His calling. He's everywhere. :)

The things that you do may look like storms and raging seas, but trust in God and follow His will and it will become calm because God is with you always.