WATCHWORD:
1 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. […] 5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city.6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant. Jonah 4:1,5-6
Meditation:
A Weed, A Blessing — A Parable
The place where he did most of his writing has a window that looks out on a little meadow with pine trees in the distance. Very pretty, very calming. There was one flaw; the window faced southwest and in the summer the sun shown directly through the window, and when he worked at his desk, the ciurtains had to be closed, hiding the scene. He attempted to plant a little garden outside outside the window, without success. Then one sping a weed began to grow, and, over time, it got taller. The man thought about cutting weed down, until he saw that it had turned into a leafy bush, and was shading his desk from the sun. The weed had turned into a blessing and the man learned a lesson. God’s blessing don’t always come as we prescribe.
Jonah was having a tantrum. In his rebellion he sat and tried unsuccessfully to create his own comfort in the heat of the day. He was not happy with God, nor was he impressed with the fact that the Ninevites responded to the prophecy that he brought. He wanted to see fireworks, he wanted to see God in action. So he sat there in his own discomfort and brooded. The Lord caused a leafy plant to grow, giving him shade, and Jonah was happy.
Does that sound just a little familiar? Ever have a tantrum with God ? Have we ever been dissatisfied with the Lord? We pray and pray for something and, it appears that nothing happened. So we doubt and we wonder, where are you God? But God never stepped away, never left Jonah, and never leaves us; and those were definitely NOT unanswered prayers!
I wonder how many of us, when confronted with the “heat” of the day, a difficult problem, a mountain we must climb, and a valley that we must traverse, and we find ourselves deep in worry or fear. Then along comes God’s “leafy plant” and “a weed that grews into a bush”, symbols of God’s provision and protection, both giving comfort and an awareness of the presence of God, right there, touching us personally. Each winter the plant went dormant and each spring sprouted anew with leaves that continued to bless the man, providing assurance that God was actively present. And we become aware of graces given, circumstances changed, and we find ourselves on the other side of difficulty. Eventually, we come around to the “Thank you, Lord,” prayer and the realization that our lives are refreshed in the assurance that God is actively with us.
God’s plans are so much greater, better, higher than ours. So, trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. So be it.
— Stan
Dove Wrapper Wisdom:
Don’t let anyone dim your light.
Be brave enough to be bad at something new.
Don’t forget to enjoy the little things.
Sing Our Closing Prayer:
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art. Then sings my soul, My Savior God to Thee, how great Thou art, how great Thou art! Amen.
