Life is full of irony. Sometimes the irony stems from unexpected circumstances, sometimes from an intentional sense of humor, and sometimes from an unintentional mistake. As Jonah planned his escape from God’s presence and command, he became an object lesson of unintentional irony. After boarding the ship and setting sail, Jonah’s ship met a storm. In spite of this storm and what should have been an uneasy conscience, Jonah was able to sleep. The crew of the ship did everything they could to hold things together during the storm. But things grew desperate as the storm raged on. When the captain found Jonah, he raged that Jonah was sleeping rather than calling on his God for salvation. After the crew determined that Jonah was at fault for the storm and their peril, Jonah’s explanation brimmed with irony. He told them that he feared the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and dry land. It is ironic for Jonah to claim to fear Yahweh but refuse to obey Him. It is ironic for Jonah to try to run from the presence of the God who made the sea and dry land. I only wish I could say that the irony of Jonah’s answer wasn’t true of me. Too often, my life is an irony as I say one thing while my life reflects a different reality. In those moments, I need the God who made the sea and dry land to show the same mercy He showed the Ninevites and Jonah. In those moments, the storm, the crew, and the whale all became objects of God’s mercy for Jonah. Together God used them to draw Jonah back to Himself and to set him in a direction of a true fear of God. As long as we have life, it’s not too late for us to turn again from the unfortunate ironies of our lives. God’s mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. Let’s live in consistency, in actual fear of the God whom we say is our fear. – Pastor Rory
Sunday at Liberty
9AM: BTH–Materialism–Matthew 19:16-22
10AM: Pastor Nate–Relentless God–Jonah 1:4-16 (sermon notes)
4PM: Kids’ Club
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