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For the past few weeks, I have not been able to really blog down a good post as I have been plagued by the busyness of my schoolwork. Each week, I have to hand in an essay assignment or two, or there would be a presentation that I had to prepare for. I felt as if I was so sucked into the cycle of meeting deadlines and struggling to keep up with the lectures that my time with God was compromised.
Each day, the heaviness of work overwhelmed me such that the burden would be too difficult to bear. From day to night, I have hardly anytime to have enough relaxation to recharge me for more work to be done. I felt trapped like a slave to the entire university system.
There were thoughts of just letting all go and neglect my work on one hand, and on the other, to continue to do my very best. Yet, I felt that something was very wrong with both. If I would be letting go of doing well, I wouldn’t be satisfied. If I would be continuing to work hard, the stress isn’t helping me either.
The strength of God doesn’t just come from above. It comes from within.
I strip away all my decorations, all my facades of holiness. I’m barren and useless. I fail to meet the standards of the church or the people around me. But I’ll just be who I am, so that God can be who He is.
Today, I was reading this section in the book of Lamentations. I found a passage that gave me so much comfort. I pray that this passage may be used to give similar comfort to all in distress.
Lamentations 3: 13 – 33:
This is a very beautiful article written about Jonah: http://www.lampbroadcast.org/plets/ppdf3/Jonah.pdf
The story of Jonah in the Old testament seems like a fairy tale to many people. It becomes a wonderful story of a man who fled from God and got thrown into the sea. Later, he was swallowed by a whale for three days and three nights. Subsequently, he was spat out to go to Nineveh to preach repentance.
This story has become so fun to listen to that we seldom consider whether it is at all biblical. Firstly, no where in the bible does it say that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but rather a great fish (Jonah 1:17) Secondly, no where in the bible does it say that Jonah lived in the fish.
Jonah 2 is about Jonah’s prayer in the fish. His prayer was a prayer of desperation to the point of death.
Jonah 2:6 – To the roots of the mountains I sank down the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God.
He was literally rescued by God as he was descending into the pit and that was when God rescued him.
Contrary to popular belief, Jonah wasn’t enjoying his time and kneeling down to pray in the fish. He was praying a prayer while ‘his life was ebbing away’ (Jonah 2:7) It was then that Jonah’s life returned and God brought him back from the dead.
Isn’t this the story of a christian’s life? Isn’t it about how a christian initially lives a life that flees from God and at the point of desperation, God rescues the christian? The christian dies to himself (Col 3:3 – For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God) and roses again with newness of life (Col 3:4 – When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory)
Every christian is like Jonah, having his old life crucified so that he may live the new life that God gives.
What a beautiful symbol of water baptism this book is!
