Concerning courage I think all of us fall so short of the glory of God. Compared to heros in Scripture most lives are quite miserably viewed. But should the time come for any to be a martyr for Jesus I pray that we shall call on His Name and know He is present with us to the very end. Apostles, prophets, teachers, kings, poets and all other great people in Scripture and since then have known deep loneliness but passed through their ordeal.

If we insist upon our own way in spite of God’s gentle leadings we may experience the deep castaway of Jonah. When I imagine this prophet in the great fish I wonder what it must have been like being tossed to and fro. I’m sure all of us can testify it is no easy task going back and forth and up and down but we have all been there, done that and will most likely be there and do that again and maybe again and again. Most of all I marvel that God hears even from the belly of deepest despair and we can find light in the deepest darkness. When Jonah called did not God answer dramatically? Sadly Jonah still needed tempering even though all Ninevah repented down to the cattle and dogs from his preaching? Seems like such success would have brought Jonah humility but instead we last view him sulking at God’s mercy. How much different are we?

What can be said to such things? No height, depth, controversy, disaster, failure, misunderstanding or anything else can separate us from the love of God. If God is for us – THEN WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? Isn’t that a rather silly question considering we belong to the Almighty? We need not fear or even wonder how to chart our own course if we are lead by the Holy Spirit. It is the Lord’s doings: marvelous and glorious in everyway!

Carol Lawson