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.

Create in me a clean heart, O God

We cannot live a day without sinning. It would be foolish of us to claim we have not sinned in our thoughts or actions for a week. The apostle John said in 1 John : "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1:8). "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (1:10).

God knows our hearts and whether we are sensitive to the convicting power of His Holy Spirit. Our best response to God's Love is to confess our sin and our need for forgiveness. The apostle John said in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The Lord Jesus Christ had taken our sin problem upon Himself by dying in our place and rising again. Only Him can create in us a clean heart!

Create in me a clean heart, O God. (Psalm 51:10)

Wait on God

Sometimes things don't go our way. We are thrown into difficult situation. It is easier to complain and grumble. But time and experience tell us not to.

We quietly continue our daily routines. Sometimes surprise ourselves with treat or favor. But inwardly we desire the trial to go away, and we are made to understand why.

Philip might have wondered why God pulled him off an assignment in Samaria (Acts 8:4-8) and plopped him in the middle of the desert. But then he discovered that the Ethiopian needed help understanding the Scriptures, and his place made sense.

God promised never to leave us alone (Hebrews 13:5), whether in good times or in bad times. Let us continue to serve Him and wait for Him to accomplish His purpose in our life.