Jude 2

We often pray for God's provision, and well we should, but we need to be aware that God's provision might not always look like what we expect.

In the story of Jonah, the Book of Jonah, go through and look for verbs following the word "God" -- as in "God sent..." or "God provided..."

What you'll discover is that MOST of what God provided was not immediately identifiable as a blessing in Jonah's life, but was, nevertheless, God's provision:

→ Assignment/Mission (1:2)
→ Great Wind / Storm (1:4)
→ A great fish to swallow Jonah (1:17)
→ Mercy on Jonah in the form of Vomit (2:10)
→ Reassignment (3:2)
→ Mercy on Nineveh (3:10)
→ Vine (4:6)
→ Worm (4:7)
→ Scorching wind (4:8 )

Precisely why the WOF is out of kilter with God's reality. The real meaning of biblical prosperity is having the omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God determining and providing what we individually need when we need it. It might be money and physical healing, but it might be poverty and illness just as easily. And it might be about using us to reach someone else instead of it being all about ourselves. If our lives really belong to Him, they are His to spend as HE sees fit.
Good stuff, Gary.

Jonah is an interesting type of Christ. After spending three days in the heart of the whale, the sign of Jonah referred to by Jesus, the message went out to a Gentile nation, the Assyrians, who were perceived to be the enemies of the Jews.

I was amazed at the depth of Jonah when forced to look at it as a piece of literature. It is almost like a mini bible all in itself. It holds most of the principle aspects of the entire text.

it is amazing that most sermons on the topic don't include the "real ending", and his apparent attitude towards the "heathens", even though, eventually he was obedient.

Pastor Gary wrote:We often pray for God's provision, and well we should, but we need to be aware that God's provision might not always look like what we expect.

In the story of Jonah, the Book of Jonah, go through and look for verbs following the word "God" -- as in "God sent..." or "God provided..."

What you'll discover is that MOST of what God provided was not immediately identifiable as a blessing in Jonah's life, but was, nevertheless, God's provision:

→ Assignment/Mission (1:2)
→ Great Wind / Storm (1:4)
→ A great fish to swallow Jonah (1:17)
→ Mercy on Jonah in the form of Vomit (2:10)
→ Reassignment (3:2)
→ Mercy on Nineveh (3:10)
→ Vine (4:6)
→ Worm (4:7)
→ Scorching wind (4:8 )

And the ultimate end is that Jona was a blessing to the people of Nineveh. If one realizes the purposes of the blessing, then their eyes are not on the blessing itself but the fruit that the blessing will bring.

God told the people of Israel to go and gather gold and jewelry from the egyptians before they left egypt. there came a time when that was used for the wrong reason...making of the calf...but in the long run it was used to furnish the tabernacle.

Not much different today. At first many blessings are used or requesteed for the wrong motive...but if the heart is right with God then the motives change and that blessing can be used to glorify the Lord.

Jonah was a "runner"... which is not to discount or minimize what you have said, because I think you're onto something. I think provision often comes within the will of God as we overcome, and then also sometimes just out of God's grace and love for us.. In any case, He is our Source. The provision of the vine that God gave, as Jonah completed his mission, was solely for Jonah's benefit.. even if he was sitting there merely to gloat and watch Ninevah be destroyed.. In many ways, he was still a rebellious prophet. God allowed the vine to "dry up" and wither, and Jonah was angry.. he was angry at the grace being extended to the Ninevites, and then angry that his former provision had dried up...failing to recognize that God was the One had blessed him.
In the book of Revelation 2:17 it says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. "To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna"...just a thought.

Jennifer Smith wrote:Jonah was a "runner"...

Well, yes. But before we all get righteous and think Jonah was doing something we would not have done...

Imagine that you are a Jew in 1942. God calls you to go to Nazi Germany and proclaim that they must turn from their evil ways and repent or be destroyed. Think about that.

You might think, "Hmmm, so if I DON'T go, God will destroy Nazi Germany? Sounds good to me! And if I do go, as a Jew going into the belly of the beast I am almost certain to be imprisoned or killed."

Or imagine that, today, God called you to go to Al Quaida (if that's spelled right) with the same mandate. Who among us would not weigh the assignment and consider the alternatives?

The people of Nineveh were hated and feared. They were aggressive and warlike. They were known for a particularly grievous kind of torture, in which enemies were totally skinned alive. And God tells Jonah to go tell them to repent; I might have been a runner, too.

Pastor Gary, you don't have to tell me... a lot of people thought we were "Jonah" last September when we resigned from full-time ministry and from Cogop... .. Now, we're just getting pulled back in to ministry... and God never gives up the calling that he places on each one of his servants. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance..I suppose there is a rebellious prophet inside each one of us at times.. Jonah had his moments.. In that moment when he was being obedient, God began to bless him.

Doesn't that show you that the people we write off are still important to God?
I have been reminded of this many times in many different ways.

The first being that he still loves me and continues to demonstrate his mercy and love. We have an amazing God.

Great thoughts. Thanks.

MacUser wrote:Doesn't that show you that the people we write off are still important to God?
I have been reminded of this many times in many different ways.

The first being that he still loves me and continues to demonstrate his mercy and love. We have an amazing God.

Great thoughts. Thanks.

The entire historical Missio Dei -- the mission of God -- has been calling the nations unto himself. All the nations, including those people groups we don't particularly like. When I have time, I'll try to post a bit about David making alliances with the Philistines. Interesting.