A word about worms.

All that chatter about caramel apples naturally made me think about worms.  You know what is akin to sin? Well, actually it is a sin? An unforgiving heart! Not surprisingly, there is not a lot of chatter on my blog about forgiveness….!! As you read my story..which is not even close to being told yet…you'll probably figure out why!! However, I want to share with you something that I learned about forgiveness last weekend! Let's talk about worms shall we? apples are so delicious, until they rot or have become victims of the worm! Then, you would rather die than touch that apple! Yuck! Did you know that Jonah had a problem with un forgiveness and he didn't even know it? Yep! Truly, I believe he was just like an apple that was rotting from within and infested with worms and it took deep sea diving, encounters of a fishy kind and a really hot, sun scorching day to reveal it to him!! Have you ever had a problem and you didn't know it! Have you ever bitten into something that was rotten and you didn't know it because it looked alright from the outside surface? Well, I have! What's more, Jonah definitely has! Did you know that unforgiveness grows and gets worse over time? We can go from being offended and hurt to wishing for someone's demise! The scariest level in my opinion, is going from wanted to see the lost get found…as a christian, to wanting the lost to stay lost!! Yikes!!! Jonah was there and he didn't even know it! Honestly, I've been there and I didn't even know it!!


Jonah 3:10 reads, 


10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 4 reads,

Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

4 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant[a] and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”

9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.”

10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

I love that it talks about worms, don't you? Jonah did not want God to forgive those people…and see them be blessed! He was so sure that God would implement justice his way, that he waited to see what would happen to the city, even after God had relented in chapter 3!! 

Have you ever wanted your way so badly that you'd rather die than give it up to God? Have you ever wanted justice your way so badly that you'd rather see others die than live?? I have!! Friends, like a worm that destroys, a heart that is not fully yielded to God's plan and design produces some pretty rotten apples.

When God's plan makes your squirm, there's a good chance you've got some worms!!

Yes indeed! God's ways are not our ways and His plans are not our plans…but…rest assured in this fact, They are better…It's coming…the better part of the other side of the mountain…It's coming and the end is beautiful!!

The Kingdom of God makes the best apples!

Oh Jonah! Why do we rely on a lie? Because the Lie looks and smells really good! Ever had a caramel apple? Have you ever seen the different flavors they have? Try resisting them!! I dare you!!  I was thinking the other day about why we have such a hard time following Christ! We say...Lord, Lord...I will do what's right..isn't that enough...? I'll give you parts of my life...I'll do what you say and I'll follow..Funny how much of Jonah's life was saturated with the work of the Lord!! He was doing so many things well and for the work of God! Yet, when asked to completely give his life and future over to God's whim and go to Niniveh..Jonah ran away sad....Consider another young child of God, a child that ran away sad!! The Scriptures tell us in Matthew 19:16-30

The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

We can be richer than any of our wildest dreams in Christ...but we hold onto one thing and lose all the rest don't we? The truth is not in focusing on how hard it is to follow Christ...because to give your self to something..anything is easy...we do it everyday! The ease is in the reality of the sell out!! You know, the great sell out...Satan had a bake sale and apples are definitely on the menu!! Money apples...Car apples, computer apples, romance apples...church service apples, important job apples...ect...are all on Satan's table...the price? Just your soul..!! Christ asks us for our life..not that we do all things right...!! Christ wants your soul!! So, it's not hard to give your life over to a person...the question is simply, which person will you choose? The one having the apple sale?  Or, will you choose the one who made the apples? Oh, Lord we want to choose you, the maker of the apples! We cannot leave any apples on the table for the devil to use in his bake sale..we have to give them all back to Christ and then we are free to follow.

When we leave something on the table, the devil can hit us from any angle. When we choose to give God all of our life, the devil cannot sell us His lie.

Matthew reminds us, 

And what happens if we do give it all to Christ?

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[c] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

With your strength and power, enable us to see that we have been deceived! Yes, we have given our lives over to the deceiver! Instead Lord, we choose to give you everything and to leave no apples on the table!