Satisfied By Love...Day 13

Yesterday was spent sitting or laying or leaning against the couch with my little girl on my lap or laying over my shoulder.  Funny how all her growing pains are exactly what's taking her away from that one place she really wants to be when her body is hurting.  She changes overnight sometimes.

Today has been much of the same.  Sitting, laying, playing sometimes, and watching a lot of Veggie Tales.  Who knew that God would remind me of something so important while watching armless talking vegetables?

So there was Jonah the asparagus listening to God tell him what to do and God told him to go to Ninevah.  Jonah said no thanks and promptly moved in the exact opposite direction.

Ouch.  How many times have I done that?

And then he goes on a trip with those lazy pirates who don't do anything, a storm comes, he offers to jump off the boat in his rubber duck floaty and swim cap, and gets swallowed up (along with his traveling buddy the half caterpillar half worm) by a giant fish.

I read about this not too long ago in What Women Fear by Angie Smith.  She talks about how that giant fish was God's way of rescuing Jonah.  I'm not sure I often think about the hardest or scariest pieces of my life as a rescue.  To me they always feel like an obstacle or a test.  But God gave Jonah that fish and offered him the opportunity to turn back to Him and to choose the right direction.  He gave Jonah time for a change of heart and eyes to see God's power.

I can understand why Jonah didn't want to take a message of repentance and mercy to the Ninevites.  But Jonah didn't miss out only on extending God's grace to them, he was missing out on God's grace and work in his own life.

Oh that flesh!  Making choices we know will lead us away from where God wants us to be is so difficult at times.  But there was no rest for Jonah when he made that choice.  The rest and the connection to God came when he was obedient.  God blesses that obedience.  I know that's when I feel like I'm in step with Him-when I obey His commands in His word as well as His direction in my life.

And so why do I run the other way?  Still looking to be satisfied by this world.  By things I can see.

Father, satisfy me with You love today.  That I would seek you and respond to Your Spirit instead of the flesh.  To accept Your direction and to walk in it with confidence that good will come from it-however hard it may seem.