8.1.24
This week we are in Jonah 1 looking at how to deal with our fears. Deep down, we are all driven by fears. What if I don’t get the things in life I most want? What if things that are precious and valuable to me are taken away? What if I’m not good enough to keep up. What if I fail? What if people see how weak and broken I really am inside?
Jonah’s deepest fears were for the salvation of his greatest enemies. He had built his identity around being an important mover and shaker in THE kingdom of God. And the thought of his enemies being shown mercy was more than he could handle.
These sailors were afraid of dying - afraid of this horrific storm. But they were even more afraid of the God who could start and stop it at will.
But what all storms do for us is, they reveal the deepest longings and desires of our hearts. They expose the fragile things we’ve been clinging to. And they reveal a desperate need to reach out for the only true Rock upon which we can base our lives. As the old saying goes, “There are no atheists in foxholes.”
One of the reasons why we are so subject to life’s storms is because we struggle to believe the promises of God that we’re really that loved. We don’t experience his deep love often enough to live in “holy fear” of God. Rather, we are driven by deeper fears surrounding our circumstances.
We all desperately cling to idols that can never rescue us. And we all come running back to God when the storms get rough enough. But the way to develop a healthy holy fear of God over these things, is with a steady diet of Jesus. Daily reading his Word. Spending time in prayer with him. Participating in corporate worship and community. Storms are dramatic and powerful. They grab our attention. So do the glitzy idols that our hearts cling to. But pursuing Jesus is a long and steady path that develops a heart of trust. Like working out at the gym, we rarely “feel” ourselves getting any stronger, but we are.
Discipline your daily time with Jesus. Make it a habit. Don’t give up and become discouraged when lights and bells don’t go off like they often do with your idols. Live on the steady path of daily pursuit of Jesus. And your heart will grow and change.