What is it like to live with someone? I guess that depends who you are living with. If you are in a living relationship with someone there are bound to be moments when you are happy and joyous, and moments when you are confused and mad. Ever been there? Sure you have. So have I.
Do you think that these ‘life moments’ are also normal in your walk with God? Almost sounds sacrilegious to suggest that you can get angry with God. However, have you read any of the Old Testament?
It’s been awhile since I have blogged, and I want to come back and share with you some thoughts about Living with The Living God. At the church where I pastor I am talking to them about it as well.
To get into this, I would like us to consider the prophet Jonah. Most of us have a familiarity about Jonah. He’s the one who ran away from God, was swallowed by the whale, got spit out again and went on his merry way. Quite a tale indeed, and there are some who believe that his story is fiction. I am not in that camp. I believe that Jonah was an OT prophet who knew God intimately, and his story illustrates this concept of living with a living God.
Here’s how.
Jonah first comes onto the scene for us in 2 Kings 14. God used him to deliver a favourable word over King Jeroboam (14:25). Jewish tradition believes that Jonah was the son of the Zarephath widow whom Elijah restored to life (1 Kings 17:8-24). Regardless, Jonah was successor to Elijah-Elisha and most likely knew them well. Jonah functioned similarly to them as a prophet to Israel. However, all of that was about to change. The Great I AM was about to do something radical. God speaks to Jonah and says, “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh …”. This is a first. For the first time in recorded Scripture, God sends a prophet of Israel outside the territory. Why? The God of Israel cares about those outside Israel.
It’s been said that before I knew Christ the Church was about me, but now that I know Christ the Church is no longer about me. When Jesus came out of the tomb and eventually made it to the Eleven, He wasn’t pleased with their attitude. In fact, He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of hearts (Mark 16:14). But then Jesus tells them to Go! (16:15). C’mon Jesus, make us feel good at least and give me some warm fuzzies or something … Go!
Here’s a question: When did the Living God ever say stop?
See you next time as we talk more about Living with The Living God.
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