......But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold of the ship.
Remember Jonah?
Had an encounter with God....
Suppose to go to the city of Nineveh and preach the word in the streets....
Jonah said, "Not going to do it"...
And then took off in the opposite direction from Nineveh.
Got himself a ticket on a fast boat to where ever.
Went down into the ship and went to sleep....
So far so good, right?
Well, God isn't finished....
He sends a powerful wind and a violent storm to overtake the S.S. Jonah.
Ship doesn't fare too well.
Everyone on board begins to pray to their god....
Nothing changes.
Jonah still asleep while all this commotion is going on.
How?
How does Jonah sleep?
And why?
Why does Jonah sleep?
I have an opinion....so don't try to take it and make it a theological surety.
I really believe that Jonah suffered from FALSE BELIEF #4
You see, when I taught at Rapha, one of the things we focused on was a set of false belief's that keep an individual locked into old habits, old ways of thinking. So let's see if Jonah may have indeed suffered from this particular way of thinking.
False Belief #4 - I am what I am....I cannot change.....I am hopeless.
To me, Jonah had reconciled himself that when he ran from God, it was over. There wasn't anything he could do or say to undo the damage that had been done. A man that truly believes he is a dead man isn't shaken very easily by the things going on around him. When there's no perceived hope anymore, you resign yourself to the state you are living in. I have seen men who have this false belief as their own personal mantra. They come to treatment...they are probably some of the best clients you could ask for. But they simply have reconciled themselves to the trash heap of life, beyond being rescued or having the ability to change.
Now if the Jonah story had ended there, it would have truly been a downer, but it doesn't.
You see, God is a God of second chances.
God is a God who will rescue you, even if you get your mail at False Belief #4. He rescued Jonah. That is what I need to remember! God's pursuit of me may seem like He's out to destroy me, but He isn't. It's His love for me that is always reaching out to me. To break through this false belief that I have allowed into my brain. This false belief that has taken control and governs my thoughts and actions. Nasty stuff, is it not?
Why not let God break this false belief today....
All it takes is a little trust....
Trust that God is who He says He is....
And trust that God will do what He has promised He would do.
God on you...
mbb
No comments:
Post a Comment