Saturday, February 15, 2014

Blessings and Troubles


The Lord God prepared a plant [for] shade . . . [and] a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. —Jonah 4:6-7

The story of the rebellious prophet Jonah shows us how God desires to use both blessings and trials to challenge us and change us for the better.

5 times in the book of Jonah it says that the Lord prepared circumstances for him—both good and bad:
- The Lord sent a storm to prevent Jonah from fleeing. (1:4).
- The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah to save him from drowning (1:17).
- The Lord prepared a plant to shade Jonah (4:6).
- The Lord prepared a worm to chew the plant so that it withered (4:7).
- The Lord provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint and wanted to die.(4:8-9).

These circumstances revealed Jonah’s rebellious attitude.

Then God directly confronted Jonah’s heart problem.

God is sovereign over both the blessings and the troubles that come our way.

God uses both good and bad to transform us and guide us on our journey.

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