Relentless Grace: When We Cry Out to God

``you find yourself in the depths and you think it can't get any worse, you think you can tough it out that you can remain disobedient because it can't get any worse, guess what? It's about to get worse. God will take us as deeply as we need to go. So when you're in the depths and you remember that God is sovereign, remember that he has either put you there or he has allowed you to be put there. The first order of business is to recognize his sovereignty and to pray seeking his will. [01:05:16] (36 seconds)  #SovereignInTheDepths

The storm calms after the sailors throw Jonah overboard, then they see the power of the Lord in calming the storm, then they worship him. God can use the storms in our lives for his purposes whether we work with him or not. I think I can make a pretty good case. It's better when we work with him. It's much better if we obey God during those storms, even if we don't feel like it's a corrective storm in that moment. And I'll make another big big leap, a big bold statement here. If you find yourself in the belly of a fish, you are being corrected. [00:59:41] (46 seconds)  #CorrectiveStorms

God may send a storm in your life so that you can witness to others about the power that he has in your life, about how he brings you peace even in the midst of your storm. Not all storms are corrective. However, clearly, in Jonah's case, this is a corrective storm. Interestingly, God is able to demonstrate his power during Jonah's storm. He demonstrates his power to the pagan sailors, not through Jonah's obedience, but really from his disobedience. God shows his power even with Jonah's stubbornness and his disobedience. [00:58:57] (44 seconds)  #GodsPowerThroughStorms

God knows what you're getting ready to pray about before you even pray it. He's already heard your prayer. Sometimes we need to pray because we need to hear our prayer. We need to acknowledge what's going on in our heart. We need to hear what we're saying to God. He wants you to listen to what you're saying because he already knows. So don't stop praying in your depths. God still listens, so pray without ceasing. He is all he is always ready to receive the desperate cries of his children. And as Jonah demonstrates, our prayers do not need to be perfect for God to hear them. [01:12:56] (47 seconds)  #HeAlreadyHearsYou

No matter how bad it is, there is something in your life you can be thankful for. If you're a believer, no matter how bad it is, your salvation is secure. We can be thankful that Jesus came to save us. There's always something in that moment that you can take time for and to thank God for his provision. So in our depths, remembering that God still provides, we should pray with thanksgiving. Pray with thanksgiving. Don't spend your time blaming God for what you've lost or for blaming God for your bad situation. [01:09:07] (45 seconds)  #PrayWithThanksgiving

The message is fairly clear. Whatever was happening inside that fish that kept Jonah alive, that was a miraculous provision from God. God kept Jonah alive in the fish. That was a divine act beyond human explanation, and so the author of Jonah provides no explanation. If you accept that God sent the fish, we can certainly accept that God kept Jonah alive in the great fish. And when we are in our depths, we need to remember that lesson. No matter how bad it is, there is something in your life you can be thankful for. [01:08:33] (41 seconds)  #MiraculousProvision

Now, some storms, as Jonas is, come because we need correction. But that is not all storms, and I want you to hear that. Not all the storms in your life are because you need correction. Sometimes the storms may come into your life because someone around you needs correction. Certainly, the case with the sailors on Jonah's boat. Right? They're experiencing that storm along with Jonah, but it's his disobedience that brought it along. And as I shared a few weeks ago, our challenges, our trials should be seen as opportunities, particularly opportunities for us to witness. [00:58:14] (43 seconds)  #TrialsBecomeWitness

He openly rebelled against God. And when God called, he ran in the opposite direction. Right? He jumps aboard the ship trying to flee even knowing he acknowledges. Well, God is he's the one that made the land and the sea. I'm still in his domain, but I'm still running. I'm still disobedient. He would have rather drowned than repented. And yet, God heard his prayer. Be persistent in prayer knowing that our God is patient with us. He is more persistent in listening. [01:14:24] (36 seconds)  #PersistentPrayer