We’re on the second week of study as we read Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer. When learned this week that when God gave a command to Jonah, he covered his ears and ran! He did not want to receive further instruction from the Lord, so he skipped town and turned away from prayer. Jonah clearly was not willing to obey the Lord. During the week we had an opportunity to examine our own lives and chances to obey or disobey when called by God. We examined our lives for personal allegiance and purpose.
We easily fall into a downward spiral of disobedience as we run from God like Jonah did and become “sleepers.” On page 49 Shirer brings up the discussion of how a pagan man can wake up a believer to pray. I recall an experience from my own life when my husband was in critical care and my neighbors continued to say “I’ll pray for you.” At the time, I believed God yet I was not in prayer or intimacy with Him. I knew my neighbors were not Christian and yet they were praying. It made me wonder why I was not praying myself, what was I hiding from. My neighbors began mowing the lawn and taking out the trash cans to the curb for me, because I was pregnant and my husband was in ICU with a rare blood disease. As a family we were overwhelmed by the outpouring and we knew our lives would never be the same. When my husband recovered, we found a relationship with God that had not existed in our lives because we were hiding in rebellion.
Prayer Requests
We welcome any prayer needs from the group and ask that you will print a copy of the prayers, place them, in your workbook and pray for these women. If you have a prayer request for our prayer wall, please click here.
Priscilla Shirer Quotes
- A way to determine where our allegiance lies is to consider how we respond to a divine intervention.
- Most disobedience involves just that- a simple choice to stay put.
- Jonah was on a run from God not only with his feet but with his heart as well.
- The world with its pagan thoughts and ideals, shouldn’t have to rouse us back to intimacy with the one true God.
This Week’s Scripture Verses-NASB
Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish. When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. Jonah 3:9-10
And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built to put My name there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” 1 Kings 9:3 NKJV
But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. James 1:14-15
Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. James 1:13-15 Message
For Next Week
- Read Week Three, pages 57-77 in the workbook
- Listen to the Session Three Audio (optional)
- OR…Listen to the Session Three Video (optional)
Group Discussion- Answer one question or as many as you like
- Have you ever felt justified in choosing not to obey God? (page 38)
- If you were Jonah, what would you have done when God called, and why?(page 39)
- Are you comforted or discomforted by God’s presence right now? Why? (page 42)
- Have you had a time like Jonah when you didn’t want to sense God’s presence? If you are comfortable, please share your story of your downward spiral listed on page 43.
1. I have.
2. That’s a tough one. I’d like to think that I would take on the task as He wants and do it to the best of my ability. I’m about to be in a situation where I will be working closely with my “Nineveh.” And I have prayed for God’s guidance in this and I believe he is calling me to move forward with it. So, I guess I’ll find out how I react.
3. I am VERY comforted by God’s presence right now. He is the rock I lean on every day.
4. I have. I’ve bought lottery tickets and, about twice a year, my husband and I go to a fairly local casino and play the slot machines. We take very little money ($100 each) so I justify this as entertainment. However, I believe God has been tugging at my heart about this. (This is sort of an answer to question 1 as well.) $100 probably sounds like alot of money to some, but my husband and I make a “very comfortable” living. This is tough for me to put this out there in cyberspace. I’m saying what I’ve never said to anyone before (except for my husband.)
Again, this is a no shame zone. We are in the presence of God. We do not have the right to judge one another or condemn each other, we unite in the love of Jesus. If we were in a room together, we’d all be hugging and passing the box of tissue as we enjoy tears of JOY.
Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. James 4:11 NIV
Thanks, Christine. Unfortunately, so many times, Christians try to share with each other and it isn’t long before one is turning and gossiping about it. It’s the one thing I wish people would keep in the forefront of their minds.
Judge not and ye shall not be judged: condemn not and ye shall not be condemned, forgive and ye shall be forgiven. Luke 6:37
It’s probably the number one reason Christians avoid church and fellowship. And why non-Believers do not want to be like us. Yet to be a Christ-follower is to follow Christ, who did not judge and loved people as they were created by Him. Instead of putting Christ back into Christmas, we need to put Him back into our hearts!
I’ll say an AMEN to that!
PS…tonight I’m posting a blog article about Finding Your Nineveh.It is written, I did not want to confuse it with today’s lesson so it will post tonight and appear in email tomorrow morning.
Looking forward to reading this…
#2) This is a tough question for me. I answered that I’d most likely stay put. My husband is not a Christian. Although he believes in God he does not practice his faith. I feel that if God asked me to go somewhere, that it would be hard for me to follow that. Where would it leave my marriage? I’m not sure my husband would drop everything if I told him God wants us to go somewhere. Or maybe he would…if God presented it as a job transfer. Who knows. He would follow for work and God had a planned for what he wants me to do. I’m not totally sure. I know that God has always been there for my family. Even when times got rough like losing our house almost 2 yrs ago. He provided another home for us. Of course we had to down-size our space 5 people for a 2bd/1bath townhouse. But it works for us and we have a roof over our heads, food to eat and clothes to keep us warm. He’s always provided and for that we are truly thankful and blessed.
1. Yes
2. Probably the same thing in those circumstances b/c it’s hard to want good for people that you deem “bad”
3. Comforted b/c i know that he’ll never leave me or allow me to go through anything that i can’t bear
4. When i was younger (in my teens) i felt like God wanted to use me at the age but, i felt that i would have time when i was older to be used and many things that seemed like “interruptions” finally got me to the point where i’m now letting God lead instead of believing in my own abilities and my own plans and timeframe
1. Yes, often with forgiveness… I know I am not supposed to hold grudges or be judgemental but a lot of time I try to rationalize things to myself.
2. I think I would have locked the door… I know that you can’t hide from God, but that is the option I would probably try. Too many times I try to hide from problems, avoiding them and other people.
3. I find it comforting to know that God is here with me. I am actively seeking Him, longing to be closer to Him and in His will.
2. If I was Jonah, I would have waited for God to call several times before I acted…praying and taking it to the ‘discernment committee’–to be sure it WAS God. I am often timid when it comes to speaking out on God’s behalf. I work at a church as the Assistant Administrator–in charge of adult ed, programming, volunteers, and much more. This study started me thinking if I was running from God. It is so easy to be ‘busy’ on Sunday and make the excuse that I must prepare a place where God can minister to ‘others’.
The last few months have been difficult personally and financially (my husband owns his own businesses and I also work in those). I realized how ‘busy’ I had been and how distant I felt from God. I found this group, this Bible study, and cannot believe how blessed I have been from participating in these studies (RUTH and JONAH) and how attached I am from this online group.
4. I am comforted by God’s presence. Finding my way back to God through prayer, meditation, and Bible study, God is near. While times are still difficult, I see God’s hand and am comforted by His provisions. I find myself wanting to rid myself of other gods (television is a big one) to spend more time with God. I can say that the closer I felt to God and more time I spent with Him, I found Satan attacking with great effort. I am praying my way through that and will not let Satan distract me. When I wake in the night with panic attacks, I begin quoting scripture, singing praise, and pray–soon I slip back to sleep soundly.
Much love to each of you…
1.Have you ever felt justified in choosing not to obey God? No I have not felt justified but I did move on and sin anyway.
2.If you were Jonah, what would you have done when God called, and why? I would have considered my options like Jonah did I think.
3.Are you comforted or discomforted by God’s presence right now? Why?
I am very comforted these days by God’s prescence. It seems as I have aged and have been through so much in life (bad choices) I have finally matured some and let Him into my life.
4.Have you had a time like Jonah when you didn’t want to sense God’s presence? If you are comfortable, please share your story of your downward spiral.
I did want to share God’s presence but at the time I selfishly wanted to marry and with that came much confusion. The man I chose presented many temptations and unfortunatly I went along with those to get what I wanted not what God wanted. That resulted in a chastening from God that left me without a job, turning away from the church and those trying to help me and an eventual breakdown. My earthly father did not give up as God did not and I was led here to get back to what I knew to be a right lifestyle. It saved me. This was much worse than I have described here.
1. I have felt justified at times not to apologize for bad behavior when convicted to because I felt the person wronged me first. It is sometimes hard to swallow my pride and be faithful when I have personally convicted someone when God may not have.
2. If I was Jonah I probably would have stayed in my home, locked the door, and over analyzed the situation. I seem to always try to make sense of a situation instead of acting on it.
3. It is always comforting to know God is near but I feel as if I am always getting convicted on something. I pray that someday I can just be obedient and learn from the lessons he has taught me.