SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2025 9:20 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1“The Lord’s Discipline”
Bible Reading and Meditation Reference: Jonah 1:4
Message of the verse: “But Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea, and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship gave thought to breaking apart.”
This morning I begin to look at Jonah 1:4, and as seen by the title we will be writing about the Lord’s discipline, and in this case His discipline upon Jonah. Jonah, in my opinion knew that he could not hide from the Lord and once this great storm started and was awakened by the crew on the ship, he knew that this storm happened because of his running from the Lord.
John MacArthur writes “Though Jonah thought he could escape God’s presence, the Lord did not allow it. As the ship was in transit, Yahweh hurled a great wind on the sea. The wind and subsequent storm were not the result of predictable weather patterns but the effect of God’s direct intervention. The verb hurled vividly describes the ferocity with which the Lord launched this storm. The same word was used when Saul threw his javelin at David, attempting to pin him to the wall (1 Sam. 18:11). In the case of Jonah, this divine act of hurling produced a chain reaction. Because God hurled the storm, the sailors hurled their cargo over the side of the ship (Jonah 1:5). Jonah subsequently instructed them to hurl him into the sea (1:12), which is what the ultimately did (1:15). As the repetition of the word hurled demonstrates, the Lord not only orchestrated the storm but also sovereignly directed every part of the ensuing action.”
As one looks at this quote from MacArthur’s commentary one can see that God is in control of all things, including the weather that He used to get the attention of His misguided prophet. The fact is that God is in control of all things, including the death of Charlie Kirk who was killed yesterday by a coward who if he does not repent will spend eternity in hell. Charlie Kirk is now in heaven rejoicing with the Lord, and I wonder what the conversation was like when he saw His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for the first time in heaven. I was listening to a radio show yesterday and the question was asked as to how this happened. My thoughts are that Satan was behind this, but God was in control of it, and God will be glorified through it. I don’t usually write about current events in my Spiritual Diaries, but in this case I thought it would be something that I wanted to voice my opinion, which I believe has much truth in it. I think that it would be great for those who read this account to pray for Charlie’s wife and two children, for they are left here on earth as they morn for their husband and father. Our country is greatly divided and it seems to me that many are following the Lord, while others think they are doing what is right, but are actually following Satan who in the end will lose and will be cast into hell as the book of Revelation makes clear. This event brought much sadness to me when I heard of it, but as mentioned God is in control and I think Romans 8:28 can be seen here: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Lord willing I will finish this section in tomorrow morning’s SD.
Spiritual meaning For My Life Today: Trusting the Lord in times of trouble is at times difficult, but always the best thing to do. Jonah did not trust the Lord’s call for him to go to Nineveh, but he had to go anyway, and it would have been much easier on him if he has just gone on his own to do what the Lord wanted him to do.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I continue to trust the Lord for what is going on with my wife’s illness, knowing that He is in control makes me trust Him more, even though it is painful for me to watch what is going on with her.
9/11/2025 9:49 AM
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