A SPIRITUAL MARATHON! #2

RUNNING THE RIGHT WAY

Last week, we discovered Biblical truth about rebellion, stubbornness and disobedience to God as we looked at the Prophet Jonah. Our consideration was on Chapter One, and we concluded with the fact that God "appointed a big fish to swallow Jonah", thus rescuing him from the sea. ( I strongly encourage you to stop reading right here and read at least the second chapter of Jonah, and reading the entire four chapters would be good!) Jonah was "in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17) Do you notice that God, who brought this punishment or correction on Jonah, now brings Jonah's rescue?

So, let's turn our attention now to Jonah, Chapter Two. Do you wonder what he was doing for three days and three nights in the belly of the fish? (I know what I would be doing. . . PRAYING "Oh God! Get me out of here!!!) Well, Jonah too was in communication with God in PRAYER! "Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish." (verse 1) Let's examine Jonah's prayer, comparing it to our own communications with God.

• "THEN" JONAH PRAYED. He was in trouble; Jonah was under Divine Discipline. He had no where to run; He could not hide! There was no way out; God had a "captive audience" and Jonah hoped that he had an audience with God. So, he prayed! What do we do in difficult circumstances? We may indeed grumble, complain, blame God or others, criticize ourself, saying, "I am a bad person," "what a failure I am!", etc. We should be seeking God in prayer remembering that God uses our troublesome circumstances to purify us and refine us to be more like Jesus. Like Job said, "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." (Job 23:10) According to King Solomon, "In the same way that gold and silver are refined by fire, the Lord purifies your heart by the tests and trials of life." (Proverbs 17:3) The Apostle Peter said, ". . .so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it's tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation (2nd coming) of Jesus Christ." (I Peter 1:7)

• "PRAYED TO THE LORD". The ship's crew couldn't hear or help him; the sea couldn't rescue him; the big fish had no sympathy for him, BUT Jonah knew God well enough to know that He is always available, ready to offer mercy and grace, open to hearing and answering sincere prayer, and helping us out of our delimmas. (We see proof of that later when he told God, "I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster". Jonah 4:2)

  "I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalm 34:4) "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers him." (Psalm 34:6-7)

• "HIS GOD". Jonah had readily identified himself to be in personal relationship with God. He told the mariners he feared the LORD (Jonah 1:9) but now he is also learning to TRUST HIS LORD! There is no evidence here that Jonah's relationship with God is a "fox-hole religion" as he "prayed to the LORD his God." (Jonah 2:1) This was not a trouble-oriented relationship, but a personal relationship that was already established between God and Jonah!

  1) Not because of Jonah's faithfulness,

  2) Not because of Jonah's obedience,

  3) Not because of Jonah's perfection or performance,

  4) Not because of what Jonah did (remember his stubborn rebellion and running away from God's

  presence) (Jonah 1:3)

  BUT, it is a personal relationship because of GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, LOVE, MERCY AND GRACE! It is a

  personal relationship because of WHO GOD IS and WHAT HE HAS DONE! "But God, being rich in

  mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses,

  made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. . . ." (Ephesians 2:4-6) If we enjoy a personal relationship with God, it is not due to who we are or what we have done; it is solely because God is WHO He is and HE has done WHAT HE DID ON THE CROSS! Our part is to confess, repent, believe and accept Jesus!

• HE PRAYED OUT OF HIS NEED. Jonah was utterly helpless; he could not save himself! Neither can we! We'll never enjoy His Presence or get into heaven by our own works or our own merits ---- only by God's mercy and saving grace!

1) He prays right where he is, "from the belly of the fish." (Jonah 2:1)

2) His prayer is personal. "I called out to the LORD. . . ." (Jonah 2:2) He "prayed to the LORD his God."

(Jonah 2:1)

3) His prayer is desperate. "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress. . .out of the belly of Sheol I

cried. . . ." (Jonah 2:2) The word "Sheol" in the Hebrew (original language of the Old Testament) means the "underworld" or the "abode of the dead." The word is both stunning and very descriptive. It is

often described as a dark, lonely and deep place; the opposite of life and light. The word is also used

to describe "the house of death", ruled by satan who is humanity's accuser. God truly has a significant

purpose for our desperate cries for His presence and His help. "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but

now I keep your Word." (Psalm 119:67) "It is good for me that I was afflicted (disciplined), that I might

learn your statutes." (Psalm 119:71) "I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in

faithfulness you have afflicted (chastised) me." (Psalm 119:75) God disciplines us and allows us to

become desperate because He loves us and is fashioning us to become eternal residents

in heaven! That takes His Work, not ours! There are times when God brings us to a place of desperate

helplessness; face to face with ourselves and with our God to own the fact that He has claims on our

life; we are not our own . . . to be and to do what we please without accountability to Him!

In our desperation, we sometimes pray like this:

1) I asked the Lord to give me happiness - He answered, "I give you joy and blessings; happiness is up

to you."

2) I asked God for inner peace - He replied, "Peace comes from obeying My Word."

3) I asked God to take away my pride - He said, "It is not for me to take it away, but it is for you to give

up."

4) I asked the Lord to grant me patience - He answered, "Patience is a by-product of tribulation; it isn't

granted; it is earned!"

5) I asked God to spare me pain - He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares, loves and

pursuits, and brings you closer to me."

6) I asked the LORD for all things that I might enjoy life - God answered, "I give you LIFE,

that you might enjoy ALL things!"

• JONAH SUBMITS HIS WILL. He is willing to change! First, there is his sincere confession. He was truly suffering, lamenting, struggling, and repenting. "For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then, I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.' " (Jonah 2:3-4) He confessed his NEED! "The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head, at the root of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God." (Jonah 2:5-6) Jonah confessed the NATURE OF GOD. He saw the Holiness of God: ". . .I shall look upon your holy temple." (verse 4) ". . .my prayer came to you, into your holy temple." (verse 7) He affirmed the Omnipresence of God (everywhere all the time) and the Omnipotence of God (all powerful) . God was in His holy temple, He was with Jonah inside the fish, He was in the billows of the sea. He heard Jonah's desperate cry for help and brought up his "life from the pit."

• JONAH CHANGED DIRECTION! He "remembered the LORD." This means he considered, he looked to and turned himself to God. This act of Jonah's was the beginning of his inner transformation; he was starting to "Run" in the Right Direction. Second, we find his true repentance and inner transformation. Watch This:

  1) He spoke with a "voice of THANKSGIVING!" Even from the belly of the fish, when he was not sure of anything except that he was in a horrible situation. We should obey God's Word that teaches us to "give thanks IN ALL circumstances; for this (act of thanksgiving) is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (see First Thessalonians 5:18)

  2) He planned to give a sacrifice to God. (verse 9) It was to be an expression of worship!

  3) He willed to pay his vow to God. (verse 9) I think Jonah vowed (promised) to God that he would obey God's Marching Orders for him to go to Nineveh!

  4) Jonah declared that "Salvation belongs to the LORD!" (verse 9) This involves declaration or proclamation - Jonah affirmed that he would give Nineveh God's message, of how to be saved.

• GOD PROVIDED DELIVERANCE/PROTECTION! (verse 10)

  a) "And the LORD spoke to the fish. . . ."

  b) Even the fish obeyed God and "vomited Jonah out. . ."

  c) "upon the dry land." (A Safe Landing!)

  I hope you see with me how wonderful and far-reaching is God's love and grace! Here are some lyrics of the hymn, WONDERFUL GRACE OF JESUS, written by Haldor Lillenas in 1918. He was a minister, author, poet and prolific hymn writer, composing over 4,000 hymns of which this was his most famous.

  "Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin; how shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free, for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me."

  Refrain/Chorus:

  "Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea, higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain, all sufficient grace for even me; broader than the scope of my transgressons, sing it! Greater far than all my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise his name!"

  I heard the story of a man in his mid 30's. He was married, the father of two children and he had a good job. He had grown up in a Christian home. Over time, he wandered from God, and rebellion started to fill his heart and mind. He had served in the United States Army and had fought in the Viet Nam War. While there, he became very disallusioned with many things. As an American, he had patriotic resentment toward the Viet Cong, and bitterness against the military and government establishment, as well as with God Himself with all he had experienced there and after returning.

  Back home for just a short time, stubbornness and rebellion characterized his attitude and behavior. He left his wife and children, and went away, staying gone for over two years. During the time he was away, he was able to renew his relationship with Jesus. Wanting to return home to be re-united with his wife and children, he had severe worries about whether or not they would forgive him and accept him back. He wrote a letter to his wife telling her of his desire to return. He told her what had happened in his life and asked her for forgiveness. He explained he would understand if she could not after all he had done. He told her that he was coming back and asked her to tie a yellow ribbon around the oak tree in the front yard if he was welcome. If the ribbon was not there, he would turn around and leave. As he drove up the road to their house, he was amazed to see bright and large yellow ribbons tied around every tree in the yard. Seeing those ribbons told him that love, forgiveness and complete acceptance awaited him from his family.

  Rather than a yellow ribbon on an oak tree, we have a blood-stained cross that tells us we are loved, forgiven and accepted into Salvation and God's Family by Jesus! Have you embraced that blood-stained cross and allowed Jesus to turn you in the right direction?