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Faith by Debbie Wallis
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistines country, although it was shorter. For God said, If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt," Exodus 13:17. God uses delays to prepare us. The Israelites were a slave people and God knew if they went to war they wouldn't be able to handle it. Every dream has difficulties. God uses delays to get us ready for those difficult times that we’re going to face during the course of our journey. The delays are designed to strengthen our faith and make us stronger. Deut. 8:2, "God led you through the wilderness for forty years... testing you to find out how you would respond and if you would obey Him." God uses delays to reveil how we will respond under pressure and to test our loyalty and obedience to Him. He uses delays to train us because sometimes it takes longer to get Egypt out of us than it does to get us out of Egypt. The culture and habits of Egypt was engrained in the hearts and minds of the Israelite people. God could bring them out of Egypt in
Monday, May 18, 2015 one night but He knew it would take we do to you that the sea may years for them to allow Egypt ways become calm for us? The sea was to leave. becoming increasingly stormy. He said to them, ‘Pick me up and God is in no way responsible when throw me into the sea. Then the sea we move out of His will. He’s not will become calm for you, for I the author of sin or wrong doing. know that on account of me this Even our worst sins and mistakes great storm has come upon you.’ fall under His supreme plan for our Jonah 1:11-12. lives. He can take our wickedness and use it to accomplish His Humility and submission would purpose. One of my very favorite have stopped the waves. Instead verses is Romans 8:28 and I’ve used Jonah stubbornly demanded to be it for comfort and reassurance over thrown into the sea. Instead of and again. “And we know that God immediately tossing him overboard causes everything to work together the sailors attempted to fight the for the good of those who love God waves and row the ship to shore. and are called according to His Their efforts failed and they purpose.” submitted to Jonah’s request. “The sailors called on the Lord and said, Jonah ran the opposite direction ‘We earnestly pray, O Lord, do not from where God commanded him to let us perish because of this man’s go. Submitting to instruction life and do not put innocent blood proved to be incredibly difficult. on us; for You, O Lord, have done He tried to hide from God’s calling as You have pleased.’ So they on a ship but the sailors recognized picked up Jonah, threw him into the trouble that followed him. the sea, and the sea stopped its “Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, raging,” Jonah 1:14–15. The storm now! Who’s to blame for the seized as soon as Jonah hit the calamity that has struck us? What is water. The dazed sailors your occupation? Where do you responded in reverent awe and come from? What is your country? repentant faith, “Then the men From what people are you?’ He feared the Lord greatly, and they said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I offered a sacrifice to the Lord and fear the Lord God of heaven who took vows,” Jonah 1:16. Despite made the sea and the dry land.’ Jonah’s determined disobedience, Then the men became extremely God used him to display His power frightened and they said to him, to a crew of Gentiles. ‘How could you do this?’ The men knew that he was running from the God’s timing is perfect but He will presence of the Lord, because he always give us free will. We can had told them,” Jonah 1:8-10. submit or stubbornly do things our Jonah’s attempt to run from God did way and in our timing. As not end well for the disobedient humans we feel we can change missionary. Spiritual rebellion people much like the sailors who reaps what it sows, as God corrects didn’t want to throw Jonah over those whom He loves (Hebrews board. As Jonah slipped beneath 12:6). That correction came swiftly the ocean’s surface, the suicidal and in a dramatic way as the ship castaway surely thought he had Jonah was sleeping on was suddenly escaped his unwanted mission. He engulfed by a furious storm. After was doing it his way even if it identifying Jonah as the target the killed him. But the Lord was not frightened sailors looked to him for done with him, instead of allowing a way to appease his angry God. him to drown, “the Lord appointed “So they said to him, ‘What should a great fish to swallow Jonah, and.
Page #8 Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” (v. 17). God spared his life but He did not reward his rebellion. The belly of a whale was not a luxury hotel. He wasn’t thrown a party or given a bonus for his rebellion. Jonah was torn between his loyalty to God and his emotions and in the end his flesh determined his actions. Because he didn’t want the mission, he decided to leave and get away from the responsibility. Jonah would not totally submit to God as His Lord. We had habits and thought patterns that were formed in our sin nature. When we got saved those thought patterns and habits came with us. God uses the delays to break those habits and thought patterns and train you in His way of thinking and doing things. Be patient and let God do His work in your life while you do your part of being obedient. He will lead you through the wilderness but it’s your response that determines how long you stay there. You can stay three days or 40 years. God gives us free will to be as stuburn as we like. He was there when Jonah was spit from the whale’s belly and He was there when the Israelites moved out of the wilderness and He’s waiting for you. If you don’t have a Bible please contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will provide you with one.
