Jonah 2:8

Hello Everyone,

I'm finally up and running again. It seems forever since I've blogged, but I'm hoping to blog at least four days a week.
Since we've moved I've been very busy settling in. We've been here long enough that I've actually had to clean our new duplex! I still have a couple of boxes that need a home and I need to transfer some things into plastic tubs that are now empty, but it's beginning to look like a home.
I've been looking at curtains and think I've found something for the living room, but the office and our bedroom is a mystery. Everything here is 'renter's white' so color is badly needed. The location is great and I'm finding everything is quite central to our location. When God puts you somewhere He wants you, there are many blessings.
We only got internet on Tuesday and by the time the guys left I was too tired to do much except to check the many emails we got. I'll try to slowly answer everyone, soon.
Chuck is job hunting, so please pray! I miss our Sunday school class BADLY! I've visited a couple of churches. One is a good possibility and is the closest to our home. The other one believes that you get salvation and the Holy Spirit through baptism. So, needless to say, I won't be going back there. Chuck will be able to go to church with me this Sunday, so we'll check out a new church. There's a large baptist one nearby. Not sure I want to be a baptist again, but we'll see. Also, it's really large and I'm not a large church person.
I know the Lord will give me ministry, but I'm in a desert for now. I've completed 2 and 3 John and emailed them to Betty. I'm going to be doing Romans or Jude next. I need to see if you all want me to prepare another study for you or get a book for your next class. What do you think?
I ran across Jonah 2:8 in my daily study awhile back and liked what it said to me. So, here's the study for today. "Those who cling to worthless idols foreit the grace that could be theirs." So, what is this telling you.....
Jonah's name means: dove. Jonah was one of four O.T. prophets that Christ referred to. It was written around 793-753 B.C. and the king was Jeroboam. Of course this is prophecy about Israel. The location of this is the Northern kingdom (Israel). The southern kingdom was Judah. Assyria had been declining in strength, but the Lord awoke it and used them as judgment because of Israel's stubbornness. Hosea and Amos predicted God's judgment.
Nineveh was located on the east bank of the Tigris River, about 550 miles from Samaria, the capital of the Northern kingdom.
Keep in mind that even though Jonah is a key player in this book, the focus needs to be always on God. God has the first word, 1:1-2 and the last 4:11. He sends a storm, a fish, judgment to Nineveh and then compassion. He provides Jonah with a vine to shade him and a worm to destroy the vine. And Jonah had a hissy fit.
Keep in mind that God wanted to use the Jews to reach all people with His grace and mercy. See Romans 11 for this (predestination). Also, Jonah was a missionary, albeit a reluctant one. Jonah, being disobedient was also a symbol of Israel's disobedience. The book is only four short chapters, so take time to read it and enjoy seeing how the Lord works.
Now, our verse. Israel wouldn't experience God's grace if they wouldn't turn from their idol worship. So, what in your life is an idol? Another person, a thing, busyness, self, money, low self-esteem, a bad marriage, disrespect for your husband, unwilling to serve the Lord when He asks? The list goes on and I'm sure you know what your idol is. Perhaps you don't have an idol and the Lord is first in your life. Anything that takes your focus off of the Lord is an idol. Who's on the throne of your life?
When we moved to Hillsboro, I just didn't have peace about being there. I didn't 'see' why the Lord brought us there. I had many things that I had to endure and they weren't pleasant. The Lord took everything away from me, again. But, as I persisted in keeping my eyes on Him, slowly He revealed why we were brought there; what He wanted me to do. The peace came after a long time of prayer and service because I was willing to step out in faith and obey His call to where He wanted me to go.
I have peace about where we are now. I know the Lord is once again taking many things away from me, but I know because of past experiences that He will provide just what I need and will bless me in ways that I haven't yet experienced.
One thing He hasn't taken away this time, like in the past, is dear friends that I can see occasionally and communicate with easily. God is good and I am blessed.

From my heart to yours,
Sandy