Thought for April 13. 2024

•  1742: Handel's "Messiah" performed for the first time
• 1840: William Henry Lane perfects the tap dance
• 1869: George Westinghouse patents steam powered brake
• 1870: Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in NYC
• 1933: First flight over Mt. Everest
• 1943: Jefferson Memorial dedicated
• 1949: Mayo Clinic announces discovery of cortisone
• 1970: Apollo 13 announces--"Okay Houston, we've had a problem here."
• 1986: Jack Nicklaus wins 6th Masters and 18th Major--Verne Lundquist says "Yes sir" at 17
• 1997: Tiger Woods wins his first major by 12 strokes at the Masters
• 2020: Andrew Cuomo says "I believe the worst is over." 
• Born: Peter Faber [Society of Jesus], Guy Fawkes, Thomas Jefferson, L.B. Lightfoot, FW Woolworth, Butch Cassidy, Robert Watson-Watt [radar], Alfred Butts [Scrabble], Samuel Beckett ["Waiting for Godot"], Howard Keel, Madalyn Murray O'Hair, Don Adams, Dan Gurney, Lyle Waggoner, Tony Dow ["Leave It to Beaver"], Gary Kasparov, Davis Love III
• Died: Jane Taylor ["Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star], Mark "The Bird" Fidrych

Thought:

This morning I am reading Jonah 1:3-6. Jonah is running from the presence of the Lord. Think about his plan because it reminds me of some of mine. I will run from the Lord by walking to Joppa. I will run from the Lord by taking a boat on the sea He created. And when I get to Tarshish, God won't be there. What a great plan. I might have said yes to God's command, but then took my time and my route to get to Nineveh. Maybe God would go ahead and destroy the city before I got there. I might sight-see along the way, take a few detours, stay in a nice place for a few days---sounds like what I do now when God tells me to do something--I don’t say no, I just don’t get very active about doing it--postpone, delay, detour. 

Now notice what else Jonah did--he involved others in his plan to disobey the Lord. My disobedience always has consequences--for me and often for others. The sailors were just doing their jobs. They were sailing a boat from Joppa to Tarshish across the Mediterranean Sea. The way to Nineveh was by foot, 550 miles northeast. Jonah took a boat on a journey of over 2,500 miles by sea due west. Jonah didn't bother to tell the sailors that he was running from God using their boat. Like a friend asking to borrow my car to use in a bank robbery. 

Take a look a 1:4--"the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea." What a picture! Imagine the Lord throwing wind. Many of you have lived through hurricanes or tornadoes and have experienced the violence of the wind. Now consider what it was like when the Lord Himself hurls the wind. There was a storm and the ship was about to sink. Notice the reactions of the people on board:

• The sailors became afraid. these were veteran sailors and they realized there was real danger.
• The sailors each prayed to their own gods. 
• The sailors throw the cargo overboard. 
• Jonah is asleep. What? The ship is tossed by the wind and waves. the sailors are in a panic and things ar being thrown overboard, but Jonah sleeps. 
• The captain questions why Jonah is sleeping and tells Jonah to pray to his god, maybe He can help. 

What I read is that the world is in a violent storm. People live in fear--fear of the weather, fear of their enemies, fear of each other, fear of disease, fear of poverty, fear for the future. People are reaching out to their own gods for help--entertain me so I don't fear; drug me so I don't fear; give me self-help books to calm my fear; let me listen to calming sounds to calm my fear; let me travel and relax to take away fear; give me money so I won't fear. Problem--they are going to the wrong gods. And what are we doing--sleeping. Think about the captain's plea--maybe your God can help. Are there people around you who are asking you to pray because your God may help. Are there people struggling with their gods and getting no help--maybe your God can help. Lord, help me see opportunities You provide to introduce people to a God who can help. 

Blessings

Larry