God Hears Our Cries

"Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. ² And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice."

Jonah 2:1-2

The way God redeems affliction to lead people to seek God is a common theme lately in my Bible reading and study.  Jonah went from sleeping in the belly of a ship to crying out to God in the belly of a great fish.  The belly of the fish was nothing like the comical pictures in children's Bibles complete with a bed and table but a terrifying mixture of absolute darkness, stench, pressure, and inescapable heat.  Strangled by weeds, sweating in discomfort, and gasping for foul air, Jonah had discovered and was trapped in a living hell.

It was in the belly of the beast we read of Jonah praying to God for the first time as a result of his affliction.  He cried unto the LORD and was heard by the God who is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and delights to save.  In the darkness Jonah sought the LORD and his faith was buoyed.  Though he had been in the fish for days, he was convinced somehow, someway he would be released from the prison of flesh.  He said in Jonah 2:8-9, "Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy. ⁹ But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD."  The idols of the sailors were incapable of salvation, but God who caused the wind to blow and the sea to rage could silence them.  The God who prepared the fish to swallow Jonah could release him at God's command.  God spoke to the fish and Jonah was vomited upon dry land. (Jonah 2:10)

On a side note, I never considered the large fish likely needed to beach itself to vomit Jonah onto dry land.  It may have provided the first decent view Jonah had of the great fish God prepared to swallow him.  I wonder if the fish just laid there and expired on the sand as Jonah watched, or if it slowly inched back into the water and swam off.  Based upon what happened next in the book I don't believe Jonah would have helped the creature but preferred to sit down to watch it die.  But the dying fish is a great picture of how God will someday destroy Sheol and Death and throw them into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:14).

In the darkness Jonah's eyes turned to God, the light of his salvation.  He was granted divine insight:  "Salvation is of the LORD."  How good it is to remember this in our affliction.  When things are prosperous we can forget about God, and when circumstances are hard we work frantically to change them.  But we are in the midst of affliction and there is no hope, eyes of faith seek the LORD.  We ask God to bless us, and there in the belly of a great fish was such a man:  he had an audience with the living God and realised "Salvation is of the LORD."  For days he choked and struggled within that living furnace and in due time God opened Jonah's eyes to the truth.  Praise the LORD He sees our affliction, hears our prayers, and answers with salvation.

A Personal Turn

Humans have a tendency to take things personally.  This leaning impacts our judgments and how we connect causes and effects with people.  For instance, when my child misbehaves in a public setting I might feel embarrassment or that his conduct reflects poorly upon me as a parent.  Since I take personally the responses of my child to discipline or am sensitive to the opinions of others, when I notice other people's kids misbehaving or throwing a tantrum what might I do?  Without thinking I put the same burden on other children as an honest reflection of their parents.  Our personal investment causes us to take things personally, good and bad.  Situations which have little or no bearing on us we have an ability to turn personal and speak presumptuously.

In the last couple weeks I heard of cases of a well-known Christian author and music writer who have publicly announced they have either left the Christian faith or are "losing" faith.  These sorts of stories are often circulated on websites and social media, and observing the response of readers has been interesting.  The vast amount of responses I have seen concerning the musician and song writer of a popular church have "made it personal," attributing the song writer's lost faith to the alleged watering-down of the scripture in teaching at the church he attends.  Perhaps people who are intimately acquainted with the church feel entitled to offer this opinion.  But from the outside it is nothing more than seeing bad behaviour in a child and blaming the parents for lack of discipline.  Could there be a connection?  Possibly.  At the same time among my online acquaintances there was no outcry against the church of the famous author who is now without faith:  he alone was the primary focus.

We must be very careful to avoid rushing to judgment in these matters, and even better not to judge at all.  If these ministers of God can drift from Him to a place of doubting, we who think we stand should take heed lest we fall.  Since only God fully knows the hearts of men, we risk wading into the error of speaking presumptuously concerning straying brothers or sisters.  Should we blame others for their own personal wrestling, doubts, and unbelief?  Can we blame parents, pastors, or church body for wayward children who do what is right in their own eyes?  That is like blaming a parent for their adult son's STI who moved away from home years ago.  On the flip side there are many godly young people whose parents are totally hostile and opposed to the things of God:  should we credit heathen parents for their child's desire and love for God?  Give credit to where credit is due, and only God is worthy.  To use the behaviour of children to discredit parents or the foibles of parents to slander their children is folly because each stand before the righteous God and Judge.

This morning I read the first chapter of Jonah and I find the provision, grace, and salvation of God towards this wayward prophet most encouraging.  The word of the LORD came to Jonah, but Jonah went his own way:  down to Joppa, down into the ship, and finally down into the belly of the great fish God had prepared.  Parents have been guilty of writing off their own children for their shameful conduct, but God didn't disown Jonah.  In fact, God determined to use Jonah to save the men on the ship, to deliver the wicked Ninevites from destruction, and to provide a sign to point to Jesus Christ as God and Saviour.  Matthew 12:38-41 reads, "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." ³⁹ But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here."

God didn't distance Himself from Jonah as if he reflected poorly upon His lordship.  Jonah was not an effective preacher because of years of study or cross-cultural missionary training but by the grace of God which was a sign that pointed to Jesus Christ the Saviour.  Jonah didn't head to Joppa because of bad parenting, nor did he determine to avoid Nineveh because his synagogue watered-down doctrine.  It's true parents make mistakes and the Word of God is not always handled honestly in pulpits, but the point of this post is this:  let us avoid speaking presumptuously about why the author of a book sold in Christian bookshops walked away from the faith or a worship pastor gives place to doubt.  Only God knows exactly what is at work behind the scenes and in their hearts and ours.  Instead of piling on or stoking flames of gossip we ought to show compassion and pray for those who are deceived, lost, or erring.  We ought to remember Jonah and how God used Him as a sign to unbelievers so people would believe and come to salvation through Jesus Christ.  Should people walk away from Christ it is easy to take it personally, but we don't have to:  they have turned from Christ, not us.

Names of the Holy Spirit

I found a pleasant surprise in a book called Bible Word Search by William C. Gordon.  I'm not a big "word search"enthusiast, but it was the content which I found more compelling than the puzzle.  One of the word searches was a list of names of the Holy Spirit.  Gordon wrote, "The third person of the Trinity is referred to by many different names, both in the Old and the New Testament."  In case you are curious, here is list from those provided:

• Spirit of adoption (Romans 8:15)
• Spirit of burning and judgment (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9)
• Spirit of counsel, knowledge, might, and understanding (Isaiah 11:2)
• Spirit of faith (2 Corinthians 4:13)
• Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20)
• Spirit of glory (1 Peter 4:14)
• Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2)
• Spirit of grace (Hebrews 10:29)
• Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4)
• Spirit of life (Romans 8:2)
• Spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7)
• Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)
• Spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10)
• Spirit of revelation and wisdom (Ephesians 1:17)
• Spirit of supplication (Zechariah 12:10)
• Spirit of truth (John 14:17)

The names of God reveal much about Him, and these names are all consistent with the revealed character and nature of God in His Word.  Though the word "trinity" does not appear within the pages of scripture, it is consistently affirmed by these and many other passages.  The claim of Jesus Christ to deity was one touted often by His enemies who slandered Him as being demon possessed.  It seems fitting to sign off with 2 Corinthians 13:14:  "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

The Humble Heart Repents

"Bad company corrupts good habits," the scripture says, and an example of this is seen in the life of David.  David was a man after God's own heart, but he still was not impervious to the influences around him.  Though David did make mistakes as all men do, I admire how he received correction and did not repeat the same error.

David had fled from his king and father-in-law Saul with 400 men who gathered themselves to him.  An organised band of this size could basically do what they wanted without reprisal, but they were honourable according to David's commands.  In the land of Judah they protected the sheep of a wealthy man named Nabal, and being in great need humbly asked for help.  Nabal answered the delegation David sent roughly with contempt.  He would provide no food but spouted insults.

Upon hearing what Nabal said, David told his men to gird on their swords and prepare for a fight.  His plan was to go up to Nabal's house, take what he desired by force, and kill all males by dawn.  1 Samuel 25:21-22 reads, "Now David had said, "Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. ²² May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."  As David approached Nabal's home, he was fuming.  He spoke of himself in third person, his angry complaints sprinkled with the personal pronouns "I" and "me."  He was deeply offended and reacted a lot like his father-in-law King Saul.

The words of David were similar to what Saul spoke concerning the Philistines in 1 Samuel 14:24:  "And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food."  The self-focus seen in Saul was reflected in David.  But David's heart was not like Saul's:  Saul would not repent at the rebuke of the prophet Samuel, but David repented at the correction of Nabal's wife Abigail.  1 Samuel 25:32-33 says, "Then David said to Abigail: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! ³³ And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand."  Though Saul and David sinned by selfish motives and pride, Saul brought a curse but David repented with blessings.

Here is the difference between a proud heart and one that is after God's own heart.  The proud heart justifies itself and seeks honour before men, yet the heart which honours God is humble and responds gladly to correction--even when it is before hundreds of people.  Praise the LORD for giving those who trust Him a new heart which responds to correction and delights in God's wisdom.

Speaking When Opposed

This morning I read a chapter of the book of Amos, and I appreciate the boldness and dedication of this man who continued to speak God's truth in the midst of opposition.  Amos was a man who worked as a herdsman and harvester who God called and ordained as a prophet to Israel.  He was not the son of a prophet or long had aspirations of such a calling.  Amaziah the priest of Bethel was not impressed by the word of the LORD through Amos and reported him to the king, that Amos was conspiring against him.

Amos 7:12-13 reads, "Then Amaziah said to Amos: "Go, you seer! Flee to the land of Judah. There eat bread, and there prophesy. ¹³ But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is the royal residence."  What Amaziah did with Amos who spoke as directed by God remains common to this day.  People are fine with the concept of people having faith in God and His Word, but they don't want to hear it.  They want those abhorrent views as far away as possible! Amaziah questioned the authority of Amos as a prophet, and by speaking against the messenger he hoped the message could be silenced.  The ones who will not be silent will be censured, blocked, or discredited.  Search algorithms are changed to make Christian content harder to find online.  To Christians who are bold to speak truth in love the world says, "Go away!"

Amos didn't flee, and he didn't stop speaking as directed by God either.  This boldness in the face of opposition marks those who are called by Jesus Christ to follow Him.  Our motive for speaking or writing is not to make a name for ourselves as prophets or ministers but obedience to God who created mouths, ears, and godly counsel.  Proverbs 25:12 says, "Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear."  As earrings are designed to be worn on ears, so a wise rebuker and obedient ear go together.  Amos was such a man who spoke in obedience to God concerning the state of the nation Israel, but sadly Amaziah nor the king had an obedient ear.  They refused Amos and his message, but this did not deter the man who feared God.  Let us be as Amos, humble messengers of the most High who fear God and continue to speak truth in love.

The Beauty of Kintsugi

In the book The Third Option, author Mile McPherson referenced "kintsugi," an artistic Japanese pottery repair technique.  Instead of trying to conceal fractures, kintsugi emphasises cracks by making repairs with precious gold or silver.  This process can actually improve the beauty and value of pottery rather than the piece being designated for scrap or the bin.

Quoting from the "My Modern Met" website, "Since its conception, Kintsugi has been heavily influenced by prevalent philosophical ideas. Namely, the practice is related to the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which calls for seeing beauty in the flawed or imperfect. The repair method was also born from the Japanese feeling of mottainai, which expresses regret when something is wasted, as well as mushin, the acceptance of change."  It is fascinating how philosophy can find expression in how a broken pot is repaired rather than thrown away.  In the west we live in what some call a "throwaway" culture, where items are almost cheaper to buy new than to have them fixed.  "If it's not broken, don't fix it," the cliche goes, but I have never heard the reverse:  "If it's broken, fix it."  In most cases there is an attraction to what is new, and we place greater value upon new than old.

In kintsugi, brokenness brings out new potential.  If a bowl, cup, or pitcher was never broken, there would be no opportunity to adorn it with precious gold.  And when things are broken--even when the broken thing is a person--we do our best to conceal the damage done.  We admire the work tradesmen do to repair holes in walls or gouged furniture by saying in amazement as we carefully examine for faults, "Wow, you never would have known."  This is something we do with our bodies and past as well.  Money is spent every day to conceal blemishes, to lighten or darken skin, and the removal or covering of unwanted tattoos.  We work to hide our scars rather than being open about our past hurts or faults.  It is for our benefit to humbly confess we are shattered so God might be our Saviour and strength.

The world seeks perfection it can never attain, but those who discover the love of God find themselves accepted by Him in spite of flaws.  God does more than a kintsugi master could ever dream of doing, for we are born again by faith in Jesus Christ and transformed into a new creation and provided eternal life.  Our bodies look the same, but the glory of God dwells within us.  2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says, "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us."  In our brokenness we came to Christ for salvation, and through the hurts of the past God's glory shines bright as Redeemer.  No longer must we labour for approval of men or self by a veneer of vanity, for God's grace and power is revealed in our weakness.  It is He who makes us new; it is God who makes the weak strong.

"The Third Option" by Miles McPherson

Yesterday I finished The Third Option by Miles McPherson, pastor of the Rock Church in San Diego, California.  It was a thoroughly engaging, thought-provoking read.  Living as an immigrant and now dual-citizen of Australia gave me much more to consider than simply race relations in the United States, as a person who identifies as White living as a foreigner.  Here it is not so much the colour of my skin but my birthplace and accent which sets me apart.

The primary value of the book for me was to explore my own biases regarding identity and race.  Growing up I always felt like my perspective didn't matter because I was part of the privileged majority who could never understand or appreciate the struggles of others.  Maybe all that is true.  But praise be to God all people can be loving, gracious, and accepting of others on account of how God has accepted us.  Living in a foreign land has taught me many valuable lessons, enriched my life, and given me empathy for "outsiders" I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Most people would not admit to being racist, but Miles talks about how everyone has "racial conversations" in our own heads.  This may show itself in us intentionally avoiding a conversation about race because we don't want to appear racist or offend!  Without thought we naturally categorise people based upon their appearance, language, dress, or ethnicity.  A lot of what we think we know about other people or cultures is based upon a minuscule sample size or from what we have heard--not from firsthand experience through immersion in a culture.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard Aussie slang, figured it was common, and used it myself only to be met with confused expressions by other true-blue Aussies!  It wasn't because they didn't understand what I said, but they literally hadn't heard the term used ever before.

Finally, the book brought up something which had been unwittingly weighing on my conscience.  When I was a kid I made a racist and degrading comment to a member of my extended family.  I wondered at the conscience God has given us, for God has put within us the capacity to remember a sentence or word we spoke 30 years ago which was hurtful to others and displeasing to God.  I was wounded in remembering what I said and the tears flowed.  Praise the LORD He brings our sin to mind so we can repent of it, ask for forgiveness, and be reconciled with God and others.  It is a privilege to be reconciled to God and people we have wounded, whether by ignorance or malice.  Words have an incredible capacity to wound or to edify.  If we have used our words to hurt or tear others down, it is in humbling ourselves before God and man in repentance which results in restoration and encouragement for all.

Return and Rejoice

We've been studying through Hosea at Calvary Chapel Sydney on Sundays and I happen to be in the book of Amos for my morning devotions, a prophet who was a contemporary of Hosea.  Because the northern kingdom of Israel had rebelled from God, severe judgment was coming.  Israel resembled a stubborn heifer who refused to budge, so God would put her in the position of a vulnerable lamb in open country.  The fall of Israel at the hand of her enemies was a tragic consequence for her sin.

Amos 3:11-12 says, "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "An adversary shall be all around the land; he shall sap your strength from you, and your palaces shall be plundered." ¹² Thus says the LORD: "As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out who dwell in Samaria--in the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!"  The people of the northern kingdom vainly hoped they would be spared, and they frantically tried to make treaties with their enemies rather than repenting before God.  God made it clear no one in the northern kingdom would escape:  the lamb who decided to forage in the open country would be torn in pieces by the lion of Assyria.  They could hide away in darkened homes upon beds and couches but they would be found and removed.

Whilst the context of this passage was a warning of certain judgment, there is for believers great consolation found here.  If a lion did steal and eat a sheep of the flock, the shepherd would boldly pursue and remove legs or even an ear from the mouth of lion.  David described slaying a lion which came against the flock, and a hungry lion would not easily relinquish a kill without a fight.  Shepherds who worked under a master would retrieve the torn parts of sheep as evidence they had not stolen the lamb or sheep for themselves.  Another way of viewing the passage in light of God's grace, mercy, and love is God knew those who were left in Samaria the capital who were too feeble, sick, or wounded to flee.  Though God's judgment was harsh, He exhibited compassion to consider the torn remnant worth delivering from the mouth of the lion.

Peter compared Satan to a "roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."  Even if he is permitted to sink teeth or claws into one who wanders, Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who saves and delivers.  Whilst there was no hope for the northern kingdom of Israel at that time because they would not repent, there remains hope for all today who cry out for help and deliverance.  Our Saviour who rose from the dead is able to bring new life out of death.  We are not to blame the devil for our pains, for God disciplines those who He loves.  Hosea 6:1 says, "Come, and let us return to the LORD; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up."  Pain is a trigger for men and women of faith to seek healing from God, not run from Him in unbelief.  After David confessed his sin he wrote to God in Psalm 51:8, "Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice."

Hosea and David credited God for pains He allowed them to endure, knowing He who tore them was their only way to healing and restoration.  God who delivered David from the paw of lion, bear, and even the giant Philistine prised him from the figurative mouth of the lion, sin which worked to damn him body and soul to hell.  What an awesome God who shows love towards us, to heal, redeem, and save us when we were yet sinners.  In Him we will find cause to rejoice forever.

Sought In Affliction

In preparing for this week's message at Calvary Chapel Sydney, I came across a quote from Matthew Henry that impacted me:  "Carnal hearts, in time of trouble, see their sickness, but do not see the sin that is the cause of it." (Matthew Henry Concise, pg. 11112)  This insight is easily verified in our own lives, for it is easier for us to describe our negative symptoms to a doctor than to know for certain the cause our malady.  We may have theories about how or when we contacted a virus, but the fact we would even go to a doctor shows our need for help in treatment.

God spoke through Hosea the prophet concerning His people in Hosea 5:13, "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb; yet he cannot cure you, nor heal you of your wound."  Ephraim and Judah were able to see their symptoms, but they did not seek healing in God.  They vainly went to the king of Assyria for help to assuage their symptoms, desperate for peace.  The unstoppable Assyrian war machine was headed their way, and all hope of successfully defending their borders was lost.  The cause of Israel's trouble was not the might of Assyria but they had forsaken the LORD.  God's complaint was His people did not even know Him, as their sins separated them from God.

This passage of scripture caused me to consider:  am I like the Israelites who only sought to relieve their symptoms or do I seek God to be cured?  Physicians do not in themselves have the power to heal anyone but utilise medical training to prescribe medicine, treatment, and procedures to promote the natural healing ability of the body.  The illness of Israel was exhibited by physical symptoms but had a spiritual cause only God could heal.  Israel stooped to attempt to make a peace treaty with their enemies rather than seek the LORD in repentance.  Instead of making deals with the devil, God's people ought to be zealous in repentance before Him (Revelation 3:19).

Whilst all physical illness we endure does not have a spiritual cause (Job's friends were presumptuous to assume he was afflicted as a direct result of his sin), in the case of Israel there was a direct correlation.  Because they had forsaken God they did not seek Him in their trouble, and because they did not know Him they did what was right in their own eyes.  How often have we too sought help in our trouble from what could not cure us!  Praise the LORD He is sufficient for all things, by grace having provided us all things which pertain to life and godliness.  When we cry out to God in repentance, He comes to us in our affliction.  In our struggle may we seek Him, desiring Him over healing or salvation because He is worthy.