SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/13/2025 9:33 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “A Heart of Consecration”
Bible Reading and Meditation Reference: Jonah 2:8-9
Message of the verses:
“Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their lovingkindness,
But as for me, I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving.
That which I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”
I want to pick up from where I left of yesterday morning as I really did not get too far in commenting on these verses because it was Sunday morning.
John MacArthur writes that “Jonah rightly perceived that those devoted to false gods forsake their lovingkindness. To forsake God is to forfeit the lovingkindness that He alone provides. Lovingkindness refers to the loyal and enduring dedication that describes God’s faithfulness to His people, backed by His power and presence, which no force of this world can thwart (cf. Rom. 8:38-39), whether on land or in the sea (cf. Ps. 107:1-32).” Now I want to look at Romans 8:38-39 at this time, but you will have to look for yourself Ps. 107:1-32 on your own. “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” MacArthur goes on to write: “The Lord’s lovingkindness overcomes every form of affliction, whether it be a violent storm or death itself (cf. Ps. 43; 107:13-14, 17-18; 1 Cor. 15:26). Yahweh generously extends such triumphant grace to all His people (cf. Ex. 20:6).” “but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” “But those in false religion have turned away from God, cutting themselves off from the only Source of grace and spiritual life. Thus, they have forfeited their lovingkindness from God. In Psalm 32, David wrote: ‘Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in Yahweh, lovingkindness shall surround him.’ False religion and idolatry involve not only trusting in that which deliver but also forsaking the One who can (cf. Jer. 2:5-13, 17, 19).”
“As in the case of many phrases in this chapter, the expression ‘those who regard worthless idols’ also came from the Psalms, specifically Psalm 31:6. There, David wrote, ‘I hate those who regard worthless idols.’ While David reacted to idol worshipers with righteous indignation, Jonah emphasized particularly the tragedy of forfeiting God’s lovingkindness, for he himself had experienced this. Through he distanced himself from those who practiced idolatry, in his disobedience, the prophet had acted contrary to what he knew about God. He had suppressed the truth of God’s omnipresence and omniscience, and in essence, he attempted to create a worthless idol for himself (cf. 1 John 5:21). Consequently, he also forsook God’s lovingkindness. Recognizing his own idolatrous rebellion and turning away from it, Jonah demonstrated a heart of repentance and a desire to consecrate himself fully to the Lord.”
This is where we will stop this morning and Lord willing, will pick up tomorrow morning where we left off this morning. It is my desire that I will learn many things from this short book of Jonah, things that I have not learned before in my going over it a rather long time ago when I was studying the entire Word of God.
Spiritual Meaning for My life Today: I have always thought that revival in my life is something that I desire, and it is something that I have prayed for and also actually had a small group of people to pray for after our Wednesday evening prayer services a few years back. I believe that because of the death of Charlie Kurk a month ago that the Lord is bringing revival to our country, and perhaps that is because of many people praying for it for a long time. Jonah seems to have revival in this section of this book, but as we will see it is short lived.
M Steps of Faith for Today: Trusting the Lord to answer my prayers for caring for my wife with the cancer that she is going through, that His perfect will, will be done.
10/13/2025 10:07 AM
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