Diligence....

Katelyn and I are doing 10 weeks of Character studies for our Bible time. The first week is on Diligence. It is great because each day has a different passage out of the Bible that helps learn the meaning of the character trait. Today's lesson showed me something I never noticed. We read the story of Jonah. I know, I know, we've all read that story a million times and know exactly what happens: Jonah gets swallowed by  a whale( actually a big fish) because he did not listen to God. There was a little part I had missed though. In the beginning of the story, Jonah is on a ship trying to flee from God, which cracks me up. Flee from God??? Really?? Anyway, as the storm violently threw the ship back and forth, the ship's crew began to question why this was happening to them. They cast lots to see whose fault it was and the lot fell on Jonah. Jonah admitted earlier that he was running from God. Now, he told them his God was the God who created the wind and sea. The ship's crew was immediately in fear of this God. They began to realize that this God must be the true God. "At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to Him.~ Jonah 1:16. Did you catch that??? EVEN IN JONAH'S DISOBEDIENCE, GOD WAS GLORIFIED!!! I had never paid close attention to that small verse. Even though Jonah was on the ship because he was disobeying, God still was glorified because these men feared Him and made vows to Him. They had realized the God that Jonah believed in was the true God. See, I would have thought opposite. I always feel that the more I disobey, the more people do not see Jesus. Guess what?? GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED WITHOUT YOUR HELP!!! WOW!!! That's humbling. Even in the midst of Jonah's disobedience, these men saw God and feared Him. he proved that He was in control of even the storm and could calm it if He wanted to.

I look at this two ways. Number 1: I see that God is bigger than I have ever been taught He is. He can do more than just what He does through me. Even when I mess up, say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, or flat out disobey, HE WILL BE GLORIFIED IN SOME WAY!!! Number 2: HE WANTS TO USE ME!!! God wanted to use Jonah. God could save Ninevah by Himself if he wanted to but He wanted to use Jonah more than Jonah could see. I think sometimes He just wants to see if we will obey and also that we grow and learn in being used. When Jonah repented and said He would go, God gave Him a second chance and because Jonah obeyed, Ninevah was spared. I pray everyday that even in my imperfections and sometimes disobedience, that God would be glorified. I also pray that when He wants to use me, I GO!!!! I surrender it all, give it all up, put all my "stuff" aside, give up my wants and desires,  lay my fear aside, put man's opinion of me out of my mind and follow the one true God who gives life.