Coming Out Of The Deep Waters On To Shore

At one point or another in our lives, we are told to do something we don’t want to do, even though it’s the right thing to do. We do everything in our best effort to avoid succumbing to doing this very thing. We lie, we make excuses, we make an argument that justifies our behaviour in order to avoid giving in to this thing we just don’t want to do! Or worse, we justify an error. Whatever it is, we have all been there and we all try to run away from it.

An aspect we have been reflecting on lately is the Book of Jonah (we encourage you to read this book in the Bible if you are not familiar with it). In summary, this book reminds us that God’s desires will always be right, just, and perfect; regardless if we agree or disagree with them or not. In the case for Jonah, he did not want to travel to a city that was engulfed in turmoil, to deliver a message for God. Jonah then tries to travel as far away from this city as possible (by boat), which leads him to a dark place (literally. Jonah is swallowed by a whale for 3 days) of self-reflection and intense dialogue with God.

What does this passage mean for you?

Well to start, many of us are stepping out of the bounds of God and pursuing our own ungodly desires for the sake of our own comfort, convenience, and what we deem as the proper path for our lives. In reality, we often forget to make decisions with discernment, direction, and wisdom with God.

EVERY single thing you do in this life MUST be passed through the ‘God filter.’Every single action, thought, and reaction MUST be discerned through prayer and reading the Word (Bible). It’s also vital to associate ourselves with Godly people, to support us, mentor us, and keep us accountable. Sometimes, how we feel about something can steer us in the wrong direction. The Bible says,

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (17:9).

Thus, the phrase, ‘follow your heart,” is one of the biggest lies of our culture. Why would we follow our heart if its desires are constantly changing and thus become invalid?

The Bible also says,

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life,” (Proverbs 4:23).

Sometimes we can find ourselves in a dark place much like Jonah. This place is confusing, lonely, feelings of anxiety and depression. Why? We aren’t putting God at the forefront of our lives. If we do not know God, life will never make sense. Fortunately, in these dark times, God always uses these moments that don’t make sense, or the ones that seem daunting; and uses them for good. Always. In these moments, this is when (most of us) start to press in more, start asking the deeper questions, and start to reflect on how their life has been, and where they want go. Once again, if we do not understand who God is, than life will never make sense to you!

On the contrary, when some of use go through hard times in this life, we may drift further away from God. Why? Our faith becomes strained and we associate difficult times with a cruel and distant God that doesn’t stop things from happening when He should. These are all real and important questions that we have all wrestled with. The truth about the Gospel is that that God has equipped us with the tools to combat hard times and to see things the way God sees them. Our finite human brain is no match to the wealth of infinite knowledge Christ has. Stop trying to understand your circumstance and believe that God has called you for such times as these, and will walk with you to pull you out. After all, we still live in a fallen world.

Our friend Jonah learned these lessons the hard way, but you don’t have to. Be mindful, do the right thing even when it’s hard, annoying, embarrassing, or irritating. Stay diligent in pursuing the heart of God even when the going gets rough and tough, as He will always pull you out of darkness and lead you on the perfect path for your life, or a brand new path you never thought possible.

And so, we leave you with this word,

“He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains,” Psalm 107:14.