This Is Not An Ad . . .

Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me. But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3 KJV)

. . . for an iPhone or any other gadget there. First, let me explain the graphic. My friend Beth Amatelli, author of “I Talk … God Listens,” posted this graphic in a comparison of 1993 and 2013 gadgets. Amazing how things changed in those twenty years – and how much things remain the same. And I’m certain you don’t understand how that ties into the first scripture, right?

Think about this – all of those gadgets are designed to gather information, retain it for a while then disperse that information so others can acquire it. Whether it be words, pictures, music or compilations, each gadget takes, holds then gives. One item does today what eight did twenty years ago.

Now, go back to that scripture. One item, Jonah, was given information to disperse so that others might acquire it. What hasn’t changed since Jonah’s time is that mankind continues to use his response – run away from God’s will, to go with them … from the presence of the LORD. People are trying to do that daily.

Large groups of people have bound together in an effort to stop God’s word, even His name, from being shared. Governments have stepped in and decided how He is to be presented to their people. Trust me on this one, He has plans of His own.

First, we have to understand what He wants for all of us – the commandments He gave – condensed beautifully in Matthew 22:34-39. Then think about Solomon’s conclusion – Ecc. 12:13 – after seeing life as vanity. Or Micah’s in Micah 6:8. Or the New Testament view, in John 3:9-18. Go ahead, click on the links and read God’s inspired words.

God has a purpose for each and every one of us. We do not know how all of this will link together, any more than Ruth knew that by following Naomi she would be a multiple-great-grandmother to the Messiah. What we do know, is that God loves us:

We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19 KJV)

Just as for Nineveh, He provides:

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 KJV)

We have been given the ultimate decision-making in our lives, though. We can make the choice not to communicate with Him. We turn off our prayer life, not asking Him for direction and ignoring His instructions. No – don’t tell me you’ve never done that. We all have. Most of us do not receive as strong, attention-getting responses as Jonah or Saul – and for that I’m grateful!!

We have been known to go to those around us and ask, “What should I do?” when we should have been reading His word and asking in prayer, “What would You have me do?” Don’t trust me on this one – trust Him and His word – He knows you:

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalms 139:14-16 KJV)

Talk with Him.