June 20
2 Kings 14:1-14; 2 Chronicles 25:1-24; 2 Kings 13:12-13, 14:15-16, 14:23-27; 2 Chronicles 25:25-28, 2 Kings 14:17-22, 15:1-15; 2 Chronicles 26:1-21; Jonah 1:1-4:11
It truly does break my heart. Another conversation with a long time patient of mine about Jesus, the Bible, repentance and relationship. She along with so many others never embark on the relationship feeling they are good enough where they are. Being a good spouse, a good parent , a good child, a good employee or employer, a good neighbor, etc, is great, and God can truly use you in each and every one of these relationships. But it is that sort of blank look that I see coming back at me that one's entry into heaven, one's eternal salvation has nothing to do with these niceties. We can only embark on a relationship with God, we can only accept Jesus' offer of salvation when we realize that we offer nothing, that we bring nothing to the table. It is in the realization of our unworthiness, in the realization of our sinfulness, that we can accept the full payment at the cross. When we come upon the scene in the throne room, realize assembled are the angels, the elders, all those in heaven, and none were worthy. So we read in Revelation 5:4-5, "So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” Jesus, and Jesus alone is worthy.
Jonah was a prophet of God. Though we don't have any of the messages that poured forth from him, other than this narrative and his message to the evil subjects of the evil city, Ninevah, the original terrorists, there is no reason to doubt that he was anything other than an obedient prophet prior to this event. Jonah didn't like his assignment. He desired destruction, not a second chance to these evil people who were terrorizing his people. Stubbornly, in disobedience he fled into the opposite direction thinking he could escape God. We pick up the story once things began to go bad in Jonah 1:17-2:2, "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: "I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice." We read further of his countenance in 2:7, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple."
We read his warning in Jonah 2:8, "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy." What are these "worthless idols"? Anything and everything which keeps us from humbling ourselves before our Almighty God. You can do all of the "right" things. The funeral parlor could be lined for miles with those attesting to your good life. But this all means nothing if you have not recognized your own unworthiness and approached God in your own unworthiness. We all should desire God's blessings on our life, and for these blessing to continue straight into heaven. So, please recognize how you measure up, not compared to others, but to a perfectly holy God, and receive this blessing (Numbers 6:24-26), "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: