When caught in uncomfortable and painful circumstances, it can feel like they last forever. We tend to pray, “God, if You hear me, fix the problem, fix the other person, get me out of the mess I’m in!” “Now, please.”
All in God's Grace
No More Dragging Your Feet
And so, with our eyes fixed on Jesus we have entered that race marked out for us (12:1-2). Make every effort is not lost on me. To race is to do just that—to expend all the energy you have till you reach the finish line. The Greek underscores your effort with godly fear—with the reverence of a minister or deacon (Strongs).
Wheat & Weeds
My Sunflower Vine vigorously twined up my garden trellis. I allowed a wild vine to grow nearby thinking they would just mature side-by-side. However, by the time I realized my mistake, the damage was done. The wild vine had choked my Sunflower Vine!
Divine Lenses
There is no doubt in my mind that Jonah had a greater than passing acquaintance with the LORD. After all, he was a prophet with whom God shared His mind. The Hebrew for know is “yada: to know by experience”.
Forty More Days
And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land (2:10). Whew, a bit of drama! In my mind’s eye I see Jonah shaking off the gastric juices of that big fish with a shudder. What a relief!
In the Belly of the Big Fish
I love the little aside about the sailors. No way did they want to throw Jonah into the turbulent waters. They did their best to row back to land, but the sea grew even wilder than before (1:13).
On That Day
The book of Haggai winds down dramatically with promise after promise from God, first of supernatural intervention: “I will shake…I will overturn…(I will) shatter…I will overthrow” (2:21-22). But when, wonders Zerubbabel—when?