The birth of Maturity and the death of Technology

Last night I experienced something new. There was a nervous rush of blood to my fingertips and the peering eyes of the whole room on me as I approached the stool where I would perch. The stool was a bad choice. I began to speak about Jonah started with some short quip about prophets then a brief overview of the story of Jonah then on to the meat. As I started to lay out my foundation and describe what that looked like in today's setting I threw in a personal example of how I missed out on this concept when I was their age. I was speaking on Jonah and his anger toward God for being God. In the last chapter of Jonah, Jonah gets angry with God tells God he knew this would happen and thats why he didn't want to go. Jonah had predetermined that Ninevah wasn't deserving of God's mercy and they should be wiped out instead of offered a chance to repent. I related this to people and friends who we see because of their behaviour or simply because we don't like them we neglect to tell them about Jesus. Very simple, very cut and dry. 15 minutes before I spoke I recognized a few other things so I mentioned them as well which in hindsight may have been a poor choice as it confused what I was really trying to convey. Since I have this blog-platform I will share what was revealed to me through the word and various discussions with other people.

1. Pre-judging who is deserving of hearing the Gospel
2. Not being satisfied with the quick change that can happen in people's hearts and behaviours or even the slow change.
3. Even when we are obedient to God that doesn't mean our heart is being obedient. Sometimes thoughts and feelings speak louder than actions and words.
4. I have the ability to get upset when God takes away a blessing that he gave in the first place even though its his decision to give and take away. I must remain with the heart stance that I am blessed regardless of the blessing..
5. Sometimes all we can do is trust that our obedience and repentance is enough to change God's mind.

Ok so #2, At the very end of Jonah God talks about being compassionate toward a plant that sprung up and died over night and relates that to the opposite that happened to Ninevah that it was a dead city that sprang to life over night and thus God had compassion on them. Basically, that when people say they change to be encouraging even when they mess up because in their hearts they are different whether it is always reflective or not.

#3 Jonah knowing all the right things to say and do still at the end wasn't amazed by God's compassion he maintained his dislike for Ninevah and his bitterness for what God was going to do for Ninevah. Even when we can see God blessing someone else there are times when being used for his Glory won't always satisfy us in the physical and we have the opportunity to be bitter because they got a blessing that was undeserved or that we perceive as undeserved. Also, sometimes what we think God's will is and what God's will really is are two different things and while we can be obedient we won't always like it because its not how we think God should act so suck it up and consider your blessing to be that you are God's servant in the first place.

#4 God gave Jonah this leaf to shade what I believe is his very bald head. The very next day it dies. This was probably the coolest thing for me to recognize because it reinforces something I've learned to stand by: "Do not trust in what God is doing today only in who He is" the "Who he is" is the part that stays the same. One day you could have shade and the next its gone. Its a terrible attitude to have if we get angry everytime we receive a blessing and then when its gone we whine and complain about it. I must remain with the heart stance that I am blessed regardless of the blessing..

#5 So much amazing revelation from one tiny book. So the king of Ninevah makes this one statement, he decrees a fast and to cover everything in sackcloth. Animals, children, everyone in sackcloth and repent. With only the hope that God will change his mind. Not even the assurance. Jonah didn't say if you want to save yourselves do this. He just said in 40 days your city will perish for its evil. Thats it. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is to get caught up in the how we can get to this new place with God or how what we are doing is going to benefit us. When the real thing should be the why. Why are we being obedient? Is it because we are seeking after something or is it because regardless of whether he actually blesses us or not we will obey with the hope and faith that God is good to his people?

Thats all I got.
Oh right. The death of technology part.
Last night my laptop died. smoking, burning, and death. I tried to use a power supply that wasn't meant for it and it pop and died. In this I found that this is probably the worst thing that has happened to me in oh about a year. Even with going from month to month not knowing how to pay my bills, my sister moving out, and everything else that comes up in life. This is the worst thing I can see right now. The only reason why this is the worst is because it hinders my school work. Other than that it really is no big deal. God has really taught me how to be content and trusting over this past year. I am so thankful for everything I have. He really does provide for those who remain obedient.