Welcome!
Today: “How can you sleep?”
Passage: Jonah 1
6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.” (Jonah 1, NIV) – emphasis added
We know the story and the background. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach. Instead, Jonah went on his way to Tarshish, and got into trouble!
We have heard many preachers blaming poor Jonah for disobeying God. He has been getting the blames for hundreds of years now!
But then, did Jonah really commit such a big mistake?
Jonah started his journey, as soon as he got the call, unlike most of us, who don’t even (want to) know God’s call for us. Jonah was way better than many of the people who criticize Jonah. Most of the time that is the case; the people who throw the stones are no better than the person who is targeted
Suppose God called you for ministry in Asia, but you chose to go to Europe. Is that disobedience? Didn’t you go for ministry anyway?
Or, look at this: God called you as an Evangelist. You became a Pastor. Is that a big problem?
God looks differently from us. For God, those are problems. Partial obedience equal disobedience, to God
When Jonah was going in the wrong direction, it was a secular person-the captain of a ship who was throwing this question at Mr. Prophet of God: “How can you sleep, Jonah?” (Not knowing that he was speaking to the very source of the problem!)
Today, “world” is asking the same question to the Church and its leaders. When everybody – even those who do not believe in God are saying “something is going to happen”, one group is “sleeping” like Jonah; the Church!
Not because they have great faith, but because, they are “insulated” to what is going around them
People are crying for various needs, but “Church” cannot see that! They are busy about many other things like committee, election, finance and so on
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked a similar question to his closest friends/followers a similar question: “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?”
I don’t know who is asking that question to you today. But let me ask you: “Why are you sleeping, when you should be up and praying?
God bless the rest of your day with much more prayer than before!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you spoke to me through this message. Now, it is up to me, what I do with this call to wake up and pray. I need your help, since I am really sleeping. Amen!
“If you don’t wake up, He (Jesus) won’t bother to wake you up at His coming”