Well,
welcome back to another podcast of Struggling Well. And if you were with us last week, you know we were talking about the book of Jonah and things that surprise Suzi and me. We're going to go back to Jonah again, babe, because you have some more things you want to ask and some more things that you find to be fascinating about this little four chapter book, which by the way, it's only four chapters long. And if you've never read the book of Jonah,
oh God,
all you know is the story of the great fish and swallowing Jonah. You don't know the story of Jonah. So, I would encourage you to take the time to read those four chapters.
Depending on your age, either you saw a flannel representation of Jonah the great fish whale and there's songs about it. but like Jimmy said, oh, get in there and read it and you're going to be surprised. And here's the thing is, for whatever reason, God in his wisdom inspired this book to be written. And so, it has something to say to us. And what we didn't get to last week is something that has really just jumped all over me in the last few weeks. let me back up a little bit and say that.
Let me just cut in for one second. normally you do.
It's shocking. Yes.
I want to know what the cut off age is for people that even know what a flannel is.
Are you trying to say that I'm old?
No, I'm saying you and I know what a flannel graph is, but what is the cut off age where people go, "We have no idea what you're talking about."
I know. I know there are people listening maybe that are like, "What? What you flannel on a graph?" I know.
I know. Go ahead.
It was a great way back in the day before all of technology and internet and all that stuff where you could make a PowerPoint. Well, that's even old now. we could do some kind of representation of a biblical story. I mean, it was great for kids,
but it wasn't always the full story and accurate. So,
going back to Jonah, it's only four chapters. You got to sit with it and let it sink in because you're going to see a lot about human nature and Jonah was a man that loved God. And Jimmy said last week, he knew God's character, but he wrestled against what God's plan was. And perhaps that has kind of rung a bell with you a little bit because it certainly has with me is we often times are like God I want to know what you want me to do where I should go what job I should take whatever and we what we're really saying is God I don't trust you for what your plan is and we're hoping that his plan is it this is going to all be ponies and rainbows and if I do your will God then it's going to be great and that wasn't the case for Jonah because he was going to people that some commentators say may have murdered his family and they were just vicious, vicious people. It's like us going into a country and I'm not going to name one, but us going into a country where there's no sanctity of life and God telling us go and bring the gospel and we're like, no, not going to do that. I don't want these people in heaven with me. So, let's talk a little bit about Jonah's anger. If you have kids or grandkids or you're an aunt, an uncle, whatever, doesn't you don't have to have your own kids, but you know that kids go into a huff. really easily. my favorite was when our girls, we'd be in the grocery store and one of them would want something off of the shelf, something, you know, probably terrible for them, but they'd want a toy or a candy or cookies. They'd want it pulled off the shelf and put in our cart. And I would be saying no. And so, one of the three would end up on the floor. You know how they turn into rubber? And were you ever in the grocery store when that happened? I'm sure you were, babe. Where one of the girls would lay on the floor and I would try to pick them up or we would try to pick them up and they would just go limp and screaming and carrying on and I'm sure people were looking at us like we were terrible parents. But they're constantly in need, kids are of having their immediate needs met constantly. And when they're crossed, they are very unhappy. And they want you to not only give in to what they want, but then they want you to comfort them in the fact that they were disobedient, which is so weird, but that's kids. But isn't that what we do with God? I disobeyed God, but now I'm in this terrible place. Won't you comfort me? So, in chapter 4, it gets to you, and we talked a little bit about this last week. Jonah is outside of the city, and all this stuff is happening inside the city, and he's back to square one. He's back to chapter 1 when God says to him, "I want you to go to the city of Nineveh." And he's like, "No, I'm going to get on this boat. I'm going to go as far away as I can." When in my study time. I thought this was cool, too. That when God spit him back up in that whale from that whale or that big fish, he could he have been spit up right at the very place where he got on the boat? Maybe. I think that's kind of interesting. So, back to the place where he started. So, he is so miserable in his disobedience and in God's compassion and mercy. So much so that he says several times in chapter 4, I just want to die. So God comforts him and has this plant grow up. Some commentators say it was an olive tree with big leaves. And then some things happen. But here here's what just has been churning in my heart. So he was angry a lot. A couple of things he was angry at. He was angry at what God had called him to do. He was angry that God's intent was compassion. Very interesting. He was angry that the Ninevites were repenting. He was angry so much so that he sat outside and moped and then he loved Here's a little switch in his anger. He kind of loved that tree. Then he got angry when it died. And he was angry about the scorching wind. And he was so angry he wanted to die. And God says to him in chapter 4:4, "Is it right for you to be angry about this?" He didn't make the tree. He didn't make the Ninevites. He didn't create man. mankind. But he's asking him, "Are you right to be angry about this?" And then in verse 9, God says again after, you know, the sun is beating down on him, the wind is blowing, this guy is miserable. And God says, "Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?" So what in the world happened that Jonah so clearly missed God's intention? And then when God kind of gave him a little insight into it that he wanted to die.
Yeah. And I think it's a fascinating question that applies well to us today. even though our setting is different than Jonah's setting was, do I have the right to be angry at God when God's plan or the way life unfolds is not according to my plan?
Yeah.
You know, do I have the right do I have the right to say to God, you don't have you can't show compassion there? Do I have the right to say to God, you can't make my life difficult or whatever it may be. I'm going to question this one who is sovereign Lord of the universe who does care for me and cares deeply for me.
But if there's things in life that don't go the way I think they should go, do I have the right to be angry at God?
Well, I certainly hear a lot of that. and sometimes I'll be honest here. There are times when I in my prayer. Maybe I don't say it out loud, but I'm certainly thinking it. And since he knows my thoughts before I even say them, there are times when I think, God, what is the big deal? This person, this couple wants to have a baby. This person wants their child to be well again. This person's needs a job. What is the big deal? Because I'm thinking that's what matters most.
Yeah. And the truth is that what matters most, and this is going to sound far too religious, more religious than I wanted to sound. What matters most is his glory. And what matters most is that he shapes me into the image of his son. And many times that shaping into the image of his son comes through difficult times and difficult circumstances. Certainly true for Jonah. He we're at a place where he didn't want to be. We're at with the result he didn't want to see happen. And yet God as a prophet, as a spokesperson for God. God longs for Jonah to reflect him
for his honor and his glory.
And Jonah's all caught up with what's best for Jonah.
Oh, I roll this over in my head all the time and in my heart is
why am I here? I don't know if this is going to make any sense, but so God wooed me to himself and I believed that he sent his son that Jesus was and is the savior who died for our sins once for all past, present, and future. But sometimes I find with myself and other people that it stops there. That's all I want. Now, let me live the rest of my life the way I want. God, if I need you, I will dial 911 and I want you to come and put the fire out. But the rest of the time, I want to do what I think is best. And We forget that our purpose here is part of this word I learned years ago that I love and I don't use in my regular vocabulary, the meta narrative, which is the whole story of scripture from Genesis to Revelation that we're part of the mini narrative just like Jonah was and David and Moses and Paul and Peter and they're the smaller stories along the way and we're the smaller stories below them. But how I respond and what I do is part of what God is trying to say about who he is. And so I've just been wrestling with this for my own life. How this I hope I'm not so confusing here today, but I feel like oftenimes we live this parallel life of yes, I'm a Christian. I say I believe that he is the savior. I follow him. But then parallel to that is the life I want to lead. And how often do they intersect where my life, my real life, my dayto-day is overwhelmed by the truth of what God, what do you want me to do today?
Yeah.
Does that make sense at all?
Yeah. It's a it's the old chorus or hymn, take my life and let it be take my life, Lord, and let it be what you want it to be. That I could reflect you and reflect your glory in the decisions I make. And it's not
it's not even big decisions necessarily. th those sometimes I can rally to. It's the everyday mundane
choices I make and decisions I make. Can I yield my life to him
to do whatever he wants to in and however he sees fit for his honor and for his glory.
You know, when Jesus is sending out the disciples, this has just come into my mind and he says to them, you're not going to have a place to lay your head. You know, you're going to basically be homeless and wandering and giving the message. message and we have I think Christryendom has come a long way from we're just we're out here to give the message. We want people to know who God is. We want them to be redeemed by Jesus. Know they can be redeemed and follow Christ. I did a study years ago called oh man dust of the dust of the rabbi I think it was called. Excellent study also. and Again, it's following Jesus. What does that mean? For Jonah, following God, it was hard. It was hard for Jeremiah. so, I think we have to consider this and prayerfully think about where am I angry at God? Where am I wanting my agenda to be first and foremost? what does a good day look like? And what makes it good and what's a bad day and what makes it bad? is where does God enter into any of that?
yeah. And so as we leave you this week, we want to encourage you to wrestle with that question that Suzi just raised of where does God enter into my everyday choices, my everyday decisions, my everyday struggles.
Not today, but maybe in a couple of weeks, we're going to announce something that is very exciting for us, for Jimmy in particular. particular. so you're just going to have to keep tuning in to see what it is. there might be some prizes. No, no, I lied. There's not no prizes whatsoever.
But, we're just pretty excited about something that, looks like it's going to happen in the future and we will keep you posted. So, we hope you have a great day.