In The Belly of The Whale.

-


Well it's good to be back. I have not written on my blog for just a little over three months. While I have been away I have taken the opportunity to do a little soul searching and have decided that I will continue to cover a wide range of topics on my blog, however when possible I would like to always let my message be one that has a spiritual connection. Today I will be discussing the most recent trial and tribulation I encountered in my own life and why it was a Jonah and the whale Type of experience.

For those of us who know about this biblical story, Jonah was a prophet for God who was told to go to the city of Nineveh and preach repentance to the ninevites. He refused and had to be disciplined by God for disobedience and ended up three days in the belly of a whale. Jonahs experience is not uncommon to man, as a matter of fact this condition is still common place for men today especially those of us who are still enslaved to the law of disobedience. The result of having disobedience in our lives is a separation from God. Separation from God then results in sin and the penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God. The bible says that the truth will set you free. We can all be truthful about the failures in our lives when we can discuss them openly and honestly. Then as Christians we have a responsibility to repent and God is faithful to forgive us. When we do this it is a strong indication that God has dealt with us effectively regarding this shortcoming in our life. This allows us to be set free from the shame that is attached to it, and through Gods assistance, because he is merciful and kind, we can move on to a better place.

If your wondering how i tie all this in together with my own experience. I just recently spent a small amount of time in jail for Driving while barred. When you couple that with the fact that I had a couple of areas in my Christian walk where I was exhibiting disobedience, what you have there is a recipe for disaster. As a child of God we are required to be exemplary in our everyday life. We are the salt of the earth, how shall the earth be salted if the salt loses its saltiness? When we fail to do that, we leave God no choice but to deal with us regarding our shortcomings and sometimes it can be painful. Proverbs 10: 11-16 says "Do not despair at chastening from the lord, nor despise at his corrections, for whom the lord loves he also disciplines as a father in a son in whom he delights."

"Today I recognize from whence cometh my help,"" it is the lord. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me." I am more than a conqueror." Trials and tribulations come to all men and women. The formula necessary to have complete and total victory in overcoming obstacles is complete and total submission to God in our lives. Hopefully as we grow more in Christ we won't find ourselves in the belly of a whale like Jonah. But when required God who is faithful, just, true, and kind, will discipline us as he deems necessary to bring his errant sheep back into the flock. Christ said "The work that i have begun in you I will see to completion. Sometimes even with God the means justify the end.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rainbow

-
Image
This post was written on the date indicated which is June 30th 2010 there was not a rain cloud in the sky. But for most of the early summer here in Des monies Iowa it has been raining cats and dogs as they like to say. Its has rained so frequently in recent weeks that there is now concern here in Iowa for major flooding in the main tributaries of the Des monies river basin. It is reminiscent of the floods of 1993 and 2008 that happened here in the Midwest. The 1993 flood was considered a 100 year flood. The flood in 2008 was bad, but not as bad as 1993. The fact is these were very adverse circumstances that the communities who suffered them had to overcome. Water in the form of a flood is a very powerful and destructive force. There are not alot of resources available to mankind to combat this force when God decides to unleash it as he sometimes does. The analogy I would like to make today is that our life's are sometimes faced with flood like problems, and often times when we...
Read more

Generation Lost

-
Image
In today's world there are a lot of signs that indicate we are in the last days. For those individuals who don't know Christ this can be a disturbing conversation. Even for those of us who claim to be saved and know the Lord for ourselves there is something unsettling about this topic as well. One of the most prominent reasons is that most of us don't know enough about Gods word or truth on the subject to make an informed decision. As our society has advanced and become more informed or as knowledge has increased, we have become more and more separated from the truth which is Gods word. In the book of Daniel it says specifically that, "But that ole Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." It has become quite evident that knowledge has increased dramatically in the last 40 years. The Internet and other technologies has made access to information something unthought of bef...
Read more

The Winter Blues

-
Image
For those of us who live in colder climates, it can be come a real challenge to remain upbeat and not depressed during winter time. There is also a clinical condition called SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder or post holiday depression. it is attributable to the anxiety we feel because the days are so overcast and gloomy. In addition to the fact that we have incurred a lot of new debt over the holidays. The human body by design needs to receive a certain amount of sunlight on a regular basis. It not only warms us up but also supplies us with a daily regiment of ultra violet rays which contain vitamin d. It's purely psychological but we unconsciously find ourselves feeling depressed in the winter do to lack of this natural element. So what are we to do? Here's a list of ten things you can do to remedy the winter time blues. 1. When the weather allows get outside to take in some fresh air especially if the sun is out. 2. Exercise is always a good way to address depr...
Read more