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Boiling Water

And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” Jonah 4:4

I saw an interesting quote this week–”You cannot see your reflection in boiling water. Similarly, you cannot see the truth in a state of anger. When the water calms, clarity comes.”

When Jonah repeatedly spoke of his anger and displeasure in Jonah 4, God repeatedly tried to show him that HE was in control, not Jonah. I know that acknowledging our feelings to God is a good thing, and I doubt anyone reading this hasn’t been angry at some point in their life. Jonah wasn't learning and was letting anger control him.

Toddlers throw tantrums out of anger and frustration when they don't get something they want. Gently teaching them that those outbursts won’t get the desired result usually stops the tantrums. Sometimes just ignoring it does the trick I found.

Anger in itself is not sin. Anger is a natural human emotion, and the Bible acknowledges that even Jesus experienced anger, though his (righteous) anger was against the money changers dishonoring God. When does our anger become sin? Here are few ways:

Anger that is not managed and leads to destructive behavior
Anger stemming from pride or a desire for revenge
Anger directed at God
Allowing anger to fester into bitterness

"Be angry and do not sin." This verse in Ephesians acknowledges that anger can be appropriate, but it warns against letting it lead to sin. Out of control anger is destructive to the person experiencing it, and there is always collateral damage. Anger not acknowledged causes bitterness that affects every area of life.

I’m searching my own heart today, will you join me in this prayer? “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and restore a right spirit in me. Help me to be eager to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.”

Deb Hill
EFCC Member

by Deb Hill

It is Hard to See when the Problem is Me

Have you ever seen someone “freak out” on others for not very good reasons? Sometimes, anger and outbursts can be directed at others while displaying that the real trouble is inside. Bitterness warps a person’s perspective like that.

It is said that psychologist Sigmund Freud died at 83, bitter at the world. In 1918 he wrote, "I have found little that is good about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all" Veritas Reconsidered, p. 36.

Embittered people only see the problems out there. Bitterness blinds people from seeing the hate and grudges they manifest on the world.

Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. One night an angel appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!" – Told by Thomas Lindberg and found on SermonIllustrations.com.

If you would prefer to see someone fail, bitterness has crept into your heart. This is where the book of Jonah wraps up, with a prophet that does not celebrate God’s mercy and the repentance of Nineveh. Instead, he laments God’s mercy and wants to die. “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” – Jonah 4:2b-3.

Embittered to the point of despair because of God’s mercy. Do you despair, are you critical of a lot of things and a lot of people, are you nursing a grudge against someone or a group of people? Jonah had legitimate complaints against the evil of the Ninevites, and so does everyone that becomes embittered. But what they miss while in that emotional place is God’s love. What will you let fill, and flow from, your heart?

Pastor John Riley

by John Riley

The God Who Watches is the God Who Sees

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah 3:10 (NIV)

Just to recap, God allows Jonah a second chance at obedience. Jonah preaches the shortest sermon ever, 5 words in the Hebrew language, “40 more days, Nineveh done!” And the strangest thing happened….the Ninevites believed God. The people repented, The King repented, even the animals went through the motions of repentance. Nineveh did a 180. They turned from their evil ways, with zero guarantee this God they had just met, might have mercy on them.

Here’s what gets me. God was watching.

For years, I’ve watched my four sons play hours upon hours of volleyball, football, baseball and basketball games. I watched a lot, but I missed some games here and there, I missed some plays, some hits, some serves, especially if my kid wasn’t on the field.

God watched these Ninevites, these awful, sinful, despicable, bloodthirsty, far from God people…and God didn’t take his eye off of them. He saw everything they did, and what they did mattered to God. He saw their reaction to Jonah’s words, he saw their sorrow, their fasting and sackcloth, he heard their urgent calls to him, begging for mercy. He saw their broken, repentant hearts and watched them change their ways from evil to good.

It must have brought the biggest smile to his face. What God saw that day in Nineveh is what God longs to see every day.

In Luke chapter 15, Jesus tells 3 parables about lost things: a sheep, a coin, and a son. In verse 7, a lost sheep is finally found. The finder rejoices, celebrating with neighbors. Jesus says, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” One sinner repenting causes a celestial party. Imagine the incredible celebration in heaven when the entire city of Nineveh repented!

John 3:16 says “God so loved the world….” God loved the world before a baby was born in a manger. God loved the world he created from the beginning. He loved prophets, like Jonah, he loved scared to death sailors with small gods, and he loved the vile and very lost people of Nineveh— And because he loved them, he kept his eye on them, watching them and longing for them to turn away from evil ways and turn towards Him.

That same God loves you, created you and has his eye constantly on you. Turn towards his love today.

Donielle Winter
EFCC Member

by Donielle Winter

Who Knows . . .

Sometimes you just know what you gotta do, but you don’t know what the result will be.

It could be a confession and apology that might not make a difference and might be hard to say.

The folks in Nineveh heard a quick message from God’s prophet, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” – Jonah 3:4, and immediately knew what they needed to do. They started to fast before the Lord and the King issued a decree saying, “but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” – Jonah 3:8-9.

“Who knows?” the king wonders. The people didn’t know if their actions would help or change their situation, but they knew it was the right thing to do regardless of what happened next.

Life is like that a lot. People are left wondering what the result of their actions will be. We crave certainty rather than obedience. Jesus was asked to give a sign to help the Pharisees believe and he rebuked them for it. “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here” – Matt 12:4.

Even when you do not know what the outcome will be, trust the Lord and do the right thing! God has given us all the certainty and example we need in Jesus. “Who knows?” God does, and he has already shown us how the story ends. Trust him and do the right thing!

Pastor John Riley

by John Riley

Short Sermons - Big Change

Years ago, the great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, entered a church where he was invited to speak in order to check out the acoustics. He decided to quote Scripture from the platform and said in a loud voice, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." Unknown to him a workman in the church heard this as the voice of God to him. He responded by looking to Jesus and trusting him as his Savior. Many years later the man shared with Spurgeon that it was his brief word that day that led him to trust in Jesus. Spurgeon is well known for his powerful sermons that called people to repentance and helped them see the unmerited grace that comes through Jesus Christ alone. While Spurgeon’s sermons will forever go down in history, it is curious to consider the impact of the few short words from the Lord that changed this workman’s life.

Many refer to Jonah’s words in Jonah 3:4 as the shortest sermon in the Bible. It says, “Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ The Ninevites believed God.” Eight simple words changed an entire city: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”

So what exactly is the purpose of a sermon? From where does its power and impact come? And what is expected of the preacher who is preaching the sermon? In churches across the U.S. today, one might define a sermon as a 30 minute message where a qualified, seminary trained preacher exposits Scripture in three catchy phrases that all start with the same letter. The preacher would likely provide relevant examples and anecdotes to prove these points, then conclude with how the lesson could be applied to our lives today. This is no doubt easier said than done! Preachers receive a ton of pressure and criticism! Far too often though, how a message is presented; whether or not it is expressed with eloquence, energy, and empowerment (Sorry - I couldn’t resist giving you 3 E’s! :) is up for critique rather than considering what the Holy Spirit might be saying to each individual who is listening.

Jonah disobeyed God. He was told to go to Nineveh and tell them to repent, then he ran the opposite direction. I’m not sure at what point while he was sloshing around in the belly of a fish for three days that he decided to obey God, but once he did, he likely spent more time considering whether or not he would be killed for saying what God told him to say as opposed to how polished it would come across. Jonah was given a message from God, a prophetic, life changing 8 word sermon. His task was to go and speak, regardless of how it was received. The rest was up to God.

We know that teaching or preaching is a gift given by the Holy Spirit. Some receive this gift but Scripture tells us that ALL are commanded to proclaim God’s truth. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” If we say that we are followers of Jesus, and we are listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit, then we are commanded to share what he reveals. The truly exciting part of this is that the results are not up to us! We may have the opportunity to offer many words or just a few - but the truth remains the same; when God says to speak - speak! I can only imagine the fear that Jonah must have felt as he entered the savage town of Nineveh. Yet he must have done so with an incredible peace knowing that he was being obedient to God and that it was God who would change the hearts of the Ninevites, not him.

Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director

by Lynette Fuson

The God of Second Chances

Jonah 3:1–3

This devotion is about one of the characteristics of God I’m most grateful for, and I’d guess that you are too. God is a God of second chances. I’ve needed them. You probably have too. Maybe you blew it in a relationship, made a mess of your finances, or walked away from something God called you to. We’ve all been there. And one of the most comforting truths in all of Scripture is this: God doesn’t give up on us.

Jonah 3 begins with these powerful words: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” That phrase should stop us in our tracks. This is the same Jonah who ran in the opposite direction from God’s call. The same Jonah who boarded a boat to Tarshish, was thrown overboard, and spent three days in the belly of a fish. He disobeyed God, rejected his calling, and nearly lost his life. And yet… “the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”

Friends, this is who God is. He is the God of second chances. And third chances. And fourth chances. This second word from God boldly declares that you are not disqualified by your failure. Your past doesn’t cancel God’s purpose. Jonah’s story proves that.

What’s beautiful is that the call in chapter 3 is nearly identical to the one in chapter 1: “Arise, go to Nineveh…” Same call. Same city. But this time, Jonah’s response is different. Verse 3 says, “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.” I think we’re seeing a little bit of growth; maybe even transformation. As we’ll see, Jonah’s obedience this time isn’t perfect - he still has some heart issues to work through but it’s real. He’s learning to say yes. And that’s what God is looking for: not perfection, but progress.

So here’s the good news today: If you’ve been running, you can stop. If you’ve failed, you can get up. If you’ve disobeyed, you can come back. The word of the Lord can come to you again. God is not just the God of the first chance, he’s the God of another one. And maybe today is your second time. Where do you need a second chance today? What would it look like to say “yes” to God this time?

Pastor Ryan Paulson

by Ryan Paulson

Where Do We Run?

Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

I think this scripture is placed in the middle of Jonah’s story to make us think. At least it was for me. What are our idols? What are we “worshiping” other than God? What is distracting us? Most things are not idols in and of themselves, but the importance we place on them causes them to be. It’s easy to think of materialistic things (idols) being a problem, but what if we are thinking of ourselves so much that God is pushed away. What if our fear of failure, like Jonah’s, causes us to run from something God wants us to do? What if playing it safe causes us to not take a leap of faith? Aren’t we actually depriving ourselves of blessings? God’s plan will be accomplished with or without us and through all of our blunders, he is merciful and sees our hearts, but he loves us enough to let us suffer our own consequences too.

So, what is our focus on? The news and politics of the day? Social media? Work? Relationships? Our health? Even exercise can be an idol when extreme. Anything that becomes the most important thing in our lives can potentially become an idol. So what do we do if we find an “idol” in our lives? First, we can ask God to reveal it to us. Secondly, we can ask for his help to remove it, and thirdly we can seek his presence more strongly and listen for the Spirit’s guidance into fuller understanding.

I understand how life can seem overwhelming sometimes, and we just want to escape from our anxious thoughts–so many different ways. My prayer today is for you and I to run to our merciful Father not away from him, and with humility seek forgiveness and restoration. He is our steadfast hope.

Deb Hill
EFCC Member

by Deb Hill

Messy Grace

Jonah 2:9-10

I’ve always loved the story of Jonah. From the time I heard the story told on the flannel graph in Sunday school to doing a deep dive study of the book to preach it, this short 4-chapter book has always pricked my heart. As I was reading it this time, one part that stood our afresh was that when Jonah finally cried out and God answered his prayer, it says, “And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) Jonah declares, “I’m saved!” And then he was vomited out onto dry land.

Get that picture in your mind. Jonah, lying on a beach covered in bile and guts, likely disoriented, and squinting because he’s been in pitch darkness for three straight days. That’s not exactly how I usually imagine deliverance. I’m more apt to picture salvation as clean, tidy, maybe even a little picturesque. Jonah’s salvation was anything but. He didn’t step out of the fish heroically, he was hurled out, soaked, smelly, and staggering. It was undignified. It was messy. But it was grace.

The story of Jonah calls us to remember that God’s grace is often messy. Our lives are often messy. I’m struck by the fact that Jonah’s prayer was sincere, but his life was still a wreck. And yet, God responded—not because Jonah had cleaned himself up, but because God’s grace moves toward us in our lowest places. God’s rescue wasn’t something Jonah earned. He didn’t work his way out of the fish. He simply acknowledged the truth: “Salvation comes from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). The way that salvation was realized was not with a gentle lift to safety, but with a gut-wrenching (pun intended!) push to shore. That’s messy grace—undeserved, unrefined, and unbelievably good.

Maybe that’s where you are right now. Maybe you’ve been through the storm, swallowed by regret, and are now trying to stand on shaky legs on the other side. You’re not polished, but you’re rescued. You’re not perfect, but you’re back on dry land. And that’s grace. I’m so thankful that God’s grace doesn’t wait for us to get it all together. He finds us in the deep, meets us in the belly, and sets us free - even if freedom looks more like vomit than victory.

Pastor Ryan Paulson

by Ryan Paulson

Storms

Jonah found himself in a situation that was the direct result of his own disobedience. However, being that God is a God of grace, He found a way to take what Jonah meant for evil and turn it into good. The storm, which was the consequence of Jonah’s sin, became the instrument of his eventual repentance and redirection. The truth is “storms” are an inevitable part of life, but their destructiveness can sometimes hinge on our response. They can either shake us to our core, leaving us fractured and resentful, or they can shape us into stronger, more resilient people.

There are some storms that shake us. These are the trials that breed bitterness, the adversities that erode our faith, and the hardships that leave us feeling victimized. In Jonah’s case, he initially resisted the storm, clinging to his disobedience. At this point, he probably felt anger and fear, maybe even a little righteous indignation. When storms shake us, we often focus on the injustice of our circumstances, and the unfairness of our suffering. We become fixated on the waves crashing around us, the darkness of our path, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness. This perspective leads to a downward spiral, where despair and cynicism take root, preventing us from seeing the potential for growth and transformation.

There are also storms that shape us. These are trials that build character, the adversities that deepen our empathy, and the hardships that strengthen our resolve. Jonah’s experience, though initially marked by resistance, ultimately led to a profound transformation. Within the belly of the great fish, he confronted his disobedience, acknowledged his dependence on God, and ultimately repented. In other words, the “storm” of the great fish ended up shaping him into a more obedient and compassionate servant. When storms shape us, we embrace God’s constant invitation toward change and growth.

The choice is clear. Will we allow the storms of life to shake us, leaving us shattered and disillusioned? Or will we embrace them as opportunities for growth, allowing them to shape us into individuals who take the opportunity to change and grow? Like Jonah, you may initially resist the storm, but I want you to know that you have the capacity to learn and grow from anything that life throws your way. By choosing humility, repentance, and faith, we can allow the storms to shape us into who God wants us to be.

Josh Rose
Family Pastor

by Josh Rose