Pastor Leon’s SOAP: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer

June 26: Jonah 1-4; 2Timothy 2

Scripture: Jonah (NIV) 1:1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amitai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

Observation: Of the many lessons that can be learned from the book of Jonah, perhaps the most obvious is that it is foolish to run away from God! I wonder how God looked at Jonah’s plan to get away. I wonder if God did not say something like, “Jonah, you do not know what you are doing. You do not know what you started. Jonah, if only you knew where your running was going to take you!” Jonah was running FROM God, but everywhere he ran into God. God was on the boat. God was in the storm. God provided the great fish. God heard Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish.

Application: I wonder how many times God watches me do something just as foolish as Jonah. Knowing that God is omnipresent and omniscient is a great hindrance to sinning. It is truly illogical to sin. But an even greater is Love. Knowing that this God loves me and loving Him in return helps me resist sin. The greatest hindrance to sin is the presence of His Holy Spirit living within me.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, thank you for living in me and speaking to me. Thank you for teaching me, empowering me, and giving me the “want to” in overcoming sin. Amen

Pastor Leon

Making friends for time and eternity!