Running from the visible storms never calms the storm within the soul!

We are going to camp for a while in the first few verses of Jonah. After all, the Bible is so action packed with truth in every verse that it's good to really let it soak in to the soul! So, what do we know?? Jonah is called by God to go to a very great city! Incidentally, do any of you realize where modern day Nineveh is located?? It's in the Kurdish territory of Northern Iraq! O.k. ! Right there...do we grasp the nature of this place even today?? Oh Goody...where do I sign up?? Before we start to judge Jonah, perhaps we should look within to see how willing we are to go where ever He leads us!    Sometimes we are less likely to get out of our boat when the storms are raging on the horizon. Sometimes we'd rather get in a boat that is heading the other way if God's way means Nineveh, being single, having no children or you fill in the blank.  Perhaps we need to tell a little more of one little girl's story to understand how Nineveh didn't receive a standing ovation!  Remember the surface of the water? Remember the serenity?? Friends, there once was a little girl who thought her world was serene and every best dream she dreamed was possible! The problem with the possible part is that we can make certain dreams come true! Aye, there is the rub! Let me impart a common phrase of wisdom, "just because we can, does not mean we should!" Do we realize how off base we are in our desires sometimes? Do we understand that the Lord is Good..and all the time? Jeremiah 17:9 clearly declares, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" The only time we should reach for the impossible or the possible dreams is when they are God's dreams.  Only when God's dreams meet our dreams and teach our dreams proper direction should we desire them to come true in our lives. Of course, we must first make Him Lord without any rivals! We must first choose Him as the only source of wisdom and strength and power! Have you dethroned yourself today? Will you decide that His ways are better than your ways? Tonight I will be telling you more of my story...a story of a little girl who knew all about God, but did not truly know How truly Good God was all the time! Do you? Do you know how Good His plans are for you?? Do you know He is a loving God when the waves threaten you with sorrows and calamities??  We must always start with the understanding that we are not our own!! Two verses for you today to set the stage for tonight's story, Jeremiah 10:23 "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." As well, I would like to leave you with 1 Corinthians, 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body."  One of these verses refers to humanity knowing that God is in charge.  While the other echoes the need for God's sovereignty, the verse is very specific to how we behave physically. The point that both verses share is the fact that God must be completely in charge. Therefore, every area of our mind, soul and body must know the fullness of His Sovereignty or surrender will not be sincere for any of us!!  When was the last time you wanted to surrender but didn't quite make it? When was the last time you questioned if God really knew what He was doing?  Hope to hear from you...your sister in Christ, Jennifer