Topsy-turvy situations in life
include the biblical paradox: where we come before the living God in our
weakness we redeem strength for the moment.
Jonah, the Minor Prophet, had such
a difficult time of it obeying God’s call to proclaim impending judgment to the
Ninevites; he can be seen, through the text, battling four types of emotion.
These reveal four weaknesses that
we, too, battle with. It depends on how we battle as to whether (or not) we
draw on the Lord’s strength in
getting through.
Jonah 1 – Fear
Chapter 1 of Jonah hits the ground
running; the prophet runs from God in fear. Perhaps it was mortal fear for his
life to preach before the heathen of Nineveh;
or maybe it was religious indifference, or a lack of faith. Whatever it was, it
was fear that drove him the other way.
The Lord’s calling of Jonah is plain enough; he must go immediately (verse 2). But just as immediately, Jonah
sprints in the opposite direction boarding a ship from Joppa bound for Tarshish.
His fearful, disobedient reaction is ‘rewarded’ by a peril worse than he can
imagine—death lies there, imminent.
Jonah’s mistake was to run in fear. We make the same mistake; the
instinct is to run when staying put and considering what is before us, and what
God is saying, is usually the wiser choice. Obeying God is often about moving
beyond the reptilian instinct, where that instinct is based in fear.
Jonah 2 – Failure
The sweetest Scripture of this
short book is saved for a psalm of thanksgiving.
Within the thread of Jonah’s
gratitude for the provision of a great fish, is the lament for his failure,
realising how dire the circumstance was; that his disobedience almost led to
his death. Whilst he is ashamed of his failure, he is thankful for the having
been saved. It is impetus for obedience, leading into chapter 3.
Just as easily we, too, can
reflect over our failures, utilising them as platforms for learning and future
obedience.
Jonah 3 – Feelings
When the time comes to perform, we
often go to water, experiencing fight or flight—the nuances of adrenaline
pumping through our bodies, impacting us emotionally.
We could imagine going to a city,
known for its revelry, like preaching before the mafia or the KKK; Jonah is
faced with preaching an insultingly laughable message—how would they react?
Feelings-from-head-to-toe would be
us if we were placed in such an intolerable situation. How do we communicate
what God has laid tremulously on our hearts, but by faith?
Faith alone remits courage to do
only what God can empower us to do.
Jonah 4 – Frustration
Notwithstanding the miracle of the
Ninevites turning back to God in chapter 3, Jonah is found irreconcilable
within a fit of anger. Preaching to the Ninevites has meant his own goals went
unmet.
When we obey God, at times our
needs and goals will go unmet, and we can expect feelings of frustration.
Equally, though, we can expect God to reprove us, as he did Jonah, if our
frustration is selfishly poised.
***
Jonah experienced the weaknesses
of fear, failure, feelings, and frustration. We do too. We can learn a lot
from, and be encouraged by, Jonah’s humanity. Be balanced in fear. Accept
failure and move on. Perform despite feelings. Patiently endure frustrations.
© 2012 S. J. Wickham.
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