Testing the Heart

Greetings to all! May your walk be filled with light this week. It is a time of testing, of digging deep into the Spirit to find that priceless flow, the energy and life that satisfies. I hope and pray that each one who receives the words here would find Him, and get a sustaining measure. We left Jonah last week in a troubled state, even disturbed enough to rashly call out to God for an end of it all. Our beloved Father replies to Jonah, inquiring if Jonah is justified in his anger. The word of God is exposing Jonah's heart, sidestepping all the details of Jonah's situation and revealing the condition of the heart.

This is the man whom God allowed to be sacrificed, and saved with a incredible miracle. Jonah's whole existence is credited to the Eternal. And can we recall the recent words of Jonah, "What I vow I will pay..." However, here we find Jonah in the throws of himself again. I get from this such faith. Our Father is crafting His son's life in us. I can not turn that work on or off. Just as it was impossible to save myself in the beginning, it is His hand, His work, for His pleasure to raise up in me the life of His son. And here is a prophet, who experienced miraculous salvation, that is now arguing with God about his unfortunate circumstance. Jonah could not escape himself. The anger was taking control of his heart.

Jonah heads off in a huff, to the east of the city and sits in the shade of a self constructed hut. There he intended to wait and see what would happen. This is my condition sometimes. I seek the Lord, asking for Him to move. Petitioning God for more life, for those I love and meet. Frequently He will move, but perhaps not how I wanted. I can get frustrated at not seeing the timing of His plan, and then stand back waiting to see what happens. But it is my own heart that He is transforming.

These feelings, sometimes anger, sometimes frustration, perhaps resentment at times, are like little tents inside of us. Our own little house, shielded from the light. A place were we can "enjoy" our own self righteousness. In this place our beloved Father loves us. He made it possible to escape the self, to come out of my self righteous emotional insulation. I lay these down on the altar, by the power of Christ, by His method that surpassed death itself.

The Eternal now performed a special miracle for Jonah with a shady vegetable. Consider for a moment the context, Jonah made a tent, and sat in the shade of it. Perhaps he was a lousy tent builder, and needed more shade. I prefer to think of this as a time line. He was going to wait out the forty days by my thinking. Being stubborn and obstinate myself, that is what I would do. And perhaps the hut was lashed about by the winds, or was made of flimsy sticks. We do not know, so I am speculating, but somehow, Jonah was in the scorching heat again, and God made to grow over Jonah a plant providing shade.

The ASV has this as "to deliver him (Jonah) from his evil case." So the situation Jonah was in became downright 'evil', or in a polite way, he was experiencing severe discomfort. I could construct the result of this miracle as "snatch away (his) discomfort". It is not good for the soul to stew away in anger. And here the Lord miraculously delivers Jonah from that discomfort. Jonah became exceedingly glad. Filled with glee and joy.

Have you experienced a miracle just for you? The Lord does such things! Miraculous delivery from our affliction. I am believing for that manifest reality even now. Our God has no favorites, simply His son. And by that love we are assured of miraculous things! Find more of Christ and miracles follow.

But Jonah did not budge. Glad as he was, his intention would still appear to be one of waiting for the prophesy to be fulfilled. He is still in conflict with God. Still letting anger lead him. Now I am not creating a reason for the worm, or implying that if Jonah left, some other result would have happened. This is just a simple possible context, let the Spirit guide you in truth. For me, when I give up my little house and let Him clean things up, I can stand in the light, with joy and thanksgiving. And that means truly letting go of the source of irritation, the cause of my anger or resentment.

Now in the morning, the Lord brought a worm to devour the miraculous plant. Jonah experienced great joy in the miracle of the Lord, and when that was taken away, he fell back into emotional doom. Was the Lord justified in this? Of course, yet the natural man's reaction is to question. But turn to the Spirit, and the initial word of God to Jonah, "Doest thou well to be angry?" The Eternal's concern is with the heart of Jonah, so Jonah's apparent joy was tested. The core of Jonah's anger, the source of his disappointment and frustration needed to be exposed. Even in the joy of Jonah's personal miracle he held on to hidden anger.

I have been in that place, where at every turn my mind and heart questions "Why Lord?" We can not judge how He gets to the depths of our soul, how He exposes what we are hiding. Both for His work in our lives, and in those around us. Even miracles taken away, blessing that withers, these are not always circumstantial. He loves us, and will do everything in that love to bring us closer to Him. Consider that from the perspective of His love, drawing us close is more important than our circumstance. It is the Fathers pleasure to see us grow in Christ.

Our wonderful God looked deep into Jonah, because of His love. That same love looks into us, praise God!

For this meeting, here is the current agenda:

Prayer and Thanksgiving:
Pray for the ones we know who are hurting from loss. Ask for the surpassing comfort that He can provide to be poured out on them. Let your prayers embrace the mourning, let them be heard in the assembly.

Open questions:
Jonah is complete next week, and I would really like to know where to go next. Please send me a couple of books that you would like to see explored in this way. If everyone sends in two or three choices, I will tally them up and we can see the casting of lots in action! Otherwise, it will be rather arbitrary, I will ask a few that are reading closely what they think of my personal list. Unless of course, we get some other vision, so ask the Lord where we should go!

Current topic:
We have come to the end of Jonah, and in this end, there is wonderful news. Read the final verses, consider what the word of the Lord is, and send in your thoughts.

Conclusion:
Many thanks to everyone for reading along and contributing your measure. We exist in a heavenly economy, where life flows out from the throne to each of us, and we give that life to one another and the world. May your gift of life return tenfold this week. As we will be switching topics, it is a great time to add anyone you know who might be interested in this adventure in the Spirit. Forward a copy, anyone who is interested can simply send along a note to be added. Remember, contributing only requires responding to the minutes, with as little or as much as you have. Be strengthened in Love!