I’m a firm believer that God has a specific call for every one of us who follows Him. I need to be careful here. I’m not referring to those who make sure we’re at Mass every Sunday morning and then push God to the side Monday through Saturday. I mean those of us who wake up every morning with a desire to grow closer to Jesus than we were the day before.
This is so pertinent to me right now. I was called to be in a position that I was not comfortable with. I tried running - I applied to other jobs but I told God, “Your will be done, but do you really want me to do the hard? Can you let this cup pass?” Those jobs got turned down. Then as soon as I submitted, stopped looking for different jobs, and walked in God’s direction, he changed the course and gave me the position I was hoping for … that very same day. God is good!
Thank you for this. Everyone would do well to read your article, but I sincerely hope many young folks will! It something they need to hear🙏 We older folk badly need the young. They have the power of God to inspire and give hope to us older folk!
Jonah is my favorite book of the Bible, and I can't quite explain it. It feels like a short summary of the whole Bible. The call, the rejection, the punishment, the conversion, the fulfillment, the peace, the confusion, the satisfaction.
In Matthew 16:17, When Christ calls Peter "Simon, Bar (son of) Jonah" I can't help but look at that metaphorically--"Simon, you are my servant whom I have called, in the same manner as Jonah". This is especially potent as Peter also rejects Christ--perhaps this was a forewarning to Peter. Earlier, he warns that the wicked shall seek a sign but shall receive none other than "the sign of Jonah"--referring, I believe, both to himself as the one calling the wicked to repentance, and to the fate that awaits those who do not repent.
In Moby Dick, there is a sermon by a preacher early in the book, understandably about Jonah. He says that to pay a fare was dishonorable, and to accept it was also dishonorable. Jonah was on the ship without working, and the Captain didn't ask any questions--but when things turned south suddenly the Captain and all the crew were very interested in Jonah's business. We can deceive ourselves, we can deceive our fellow men, but we cannot deceive God.
I like when you say, "There is always a ship waiting to take us to Tarshish"--the option to reject God is always there. Just like the option to punch a stranger in the face is always there, to run screaming through the streets is always there, all manner of evil is always an ever present option. Accepting God's call for us isn't a one-and-done--it is a constant choosing.
Yes, I understand. I've been spit out of the belly of the whale myself and heading to Nineveh. Like Jonah, I also want Nineveh (the world) to be punished, and it seems that is coming soon. I desire it to be redemptive though, and bring permanent and lasting change for the world. Nineveh temporarily repented, but in time, went back to their old ways and were eventually punished anyway. Time for the world to wake up permanently and stay awake. I've already agreed to stay in Nineveh and be destroyed along with it, if that will accomplish this goal. Seems we are on track......
This is so pertinent to me right now. I was called to be in a position that I was not comfortable with. I tried running - I applied to other jobs but I told God, “Your will be done, but do you really want me to do the hard? Can you let this cup pass?” Those jobs got turned down. Then as soon as I submitted, stopped looking for different jobs, and walked in God’s direction, he changed the course and gave me the position I was hoping for … that very same day. God is good!
Thank you. I needed to hear that.
Thank you for this. Everyone would do well to read your article, but I sincerely hope many young folks will! It something they need to hear🙏 We older folk badly need the young. They have the power of God to inspire and give hope to us older folk!
Jonah is my favorite book of the Bible, and I can't quite explain it. It feels like a short summary of the whole Bible. The call, the rejection, the punishment, the conversion, the fulfillment, the peace, the confusion, the satisfaction.
In Matthew 16:17, When Christ calls Peter "Simon, Bar (son of) Jonah" I can't help but look at that metaphorically--"Simon, you are my servant whom I have called, in the same manner as Jonah". This is especially potent as Peter also rejects Christ--perhaps this was a forewarning to Peter. Earlier, he warns that the wicked shall seek a sign but shall receive none other than "the sign of Jonah"--referring, I believe, both to himself as the one calling the wicked to repentance, and to the fate that awaits those who do not repent.
In Moby Dick, there is a sermon by a preacher early in the book, understandably about Jonah. He says that to pay a fare was dishonorable, and to accept it was also dishonorable. Jonah was on the ship without working, and the Captain didn't ask any questions--but when things turned south suddenly the Captain and all the crew were very interested in Jonah's business. We can deceive ourselves, we can deceive our fellow men, but we cannot deceive God.
I like when you say, "There is always a ship waiting to take us to Tarshish"--the option to reject God is always there. Just like the option to punch a stranger in the face is always there, to run screaming through the streets is always there, all manner of evil is always an ever present option. Accepting God's call for us isn't a one-and-done--it is a constant choosing.
Yes, I understand. I've been spit out of the belly of the whale myself and heading to Nineveh. Like Jonah, I also want Nineveh (the world) to be punished, and it seems that is coming soon. I desire it to be redemptive though, and bring permanent and lasting change for the world. Nineveh temporarily repented, but in time, went back to their old ways and were eventually punished anyway. Time for the world to wake up permanently and stay awake. I've already agreed to stay in Nineveh and be destroyed along with it, if that will accomplish this goal. Seems we are on track......