JONAH & MICAH

Today is Monday.  My what a wonderful day we had yesterday at Grand View.  God has been so very good to us!  I went to the gym this morning and then to church so I'm getting my blog done in the afternoon.  Here are my thoughts:

1) WHAT ARE WE SLEEPING FOR?  Jonah 1:6 says:  "What meanest thou, O sleeper?"  The men in the boat said this of Jonah.  Notice what Jonah awoke to find:  a. That his life affected others vs. 4; b. That People were watching his life vs. 10; c. That God will not let us slumber vs. 11.  Let us not be found guilty of sleeping while God wants to use us for His glory!

2) DIVINE PREPARATIONS- God prepares things in our lives.  There are works He wants us to perform that "God hath before ordained"  Eph. 2:10.  Here in Jonah, we see that God prepared things to enter into the life of Jonah.  Notice them:  1:7 "the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah.";  4:6 "And the LORD God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief.";  4:7 "But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered."; and 4:8 "god prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live."  God prepared all of these things to teach Jonah, and show him to do God's will, and to understand God's compassion of people.  God has prepared things in our lives to teach us as well!

3) WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRES OF US? He tells us in Micah 6:8:  "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  Notice those three:  do justly..... love mercy..... walk humbly with thy God.  These three are what God requires of us.  Let us be found doing each and every one of them.

Well, so much for today!  Hope your day is blessed of the LORD!  Pastor Mike Mutchler