Rejoice…He Turned It!

The Sanctuary will be hosting it's yearly Women's Retreat on next week and from the onset we have been under heavy attack in trying to bring the vision of God's to pass for The Enter The Garden Retreat
As we have been going through the attack God has sent signs to us to show us that He is with us. He has sent people to undergird us and I remember one of them saying, "It is going to take some effort and determination, but God is going turn this around and He will get the glory out of this." And I needed to hear this, we all need to hear that sometimes! It isn't too late and the situation will turn around! Maybe you are in a very difficult marriage. I want to tell you, it can turn around! Maybe your finances stink. You need to know it can turn around! Maybe you have made some major mistakes that are hindering your future. It can turn around!

Jonah was a man who needed his life turned around. In Jonah chapter 1, God directed Jonah to a mission, but Jonah declined and rejected God's direction. The great difficulty of a violent storm arose in his life as a result of his rejection, and then God rescued the drowning Jonah through the help of a huge fish. The rescue came about when Jonah decided to make a change in his life. God became real as Jonah experienced "a person" behind the truth.

Jonah chapter 2 occurs inside the fish. In verse 1, a summarization of how Jonah turned it around is given: "In my distress I called to the LORD and He answered me." In this summary, we have three steps to a turn-around.

First of all, Jonah says, "In my distress..." Step 1: Jonah processes his distress. He gives an honest appraisal about the distressful situation that he is in. 

Distress, of course, is extreme anxiety, sorrow and pain. Part of the fear Jonah is experiencing is a result of "the powerful sea." After Jonah is thrown overboard by the sailors, the waves from the violent storm are breaking over him. He is engulfed by waters that are slowly bringing him down. The grip of seaweed is wrapped around his head. Jonah thought it was all over -- his grave was a watery one. In Jonah 2:1, he says, "From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help."

As Jonah is processing his distress, he comes to a startling conclusion; "you hurled me"  and "I have been banished from your sight".  Jonah is admitting that he has violated the LORD and his way. This is a "self-indictment" as he begins to understand where his sufferings have come from. We need to be careful, because processing our distress can lead us to the blame game. Jonah, however, was led to a point of taking responsibility for what he had done to contribute to his own situation.

For a time, trouble can shut out any hope. But faith was revived when, in his distress, Jonah "remembered the Lord." Step 2: Jonah cried out to the LORD. This theme of pleading to the Lord for help is repeated and emphasized several times in the chapter. It is a very personal interaction as, in Jonah 2:1, "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God."

Now here is an important question -- does the Lord show up because Jonah prays? Because Jonah finally realizes he needs help? Does God show up as a response to Jonah's good deed of calling out?

No, and here is where we learn something foundational about the Lord, and it is this -- the LORD is always there. We just need to turn to him to enjoy the benefits of his compassion and love. In the same way that an inheritance is distributed through the willful acceptance of the treasure, God's love must be received. Jonah cried out to God and received his love.

Then Jonah says in Jonah 2:6, "You brought me life from the pit, O Lord my God." Step 3: Jonah waited for and expected God's intervention. God's intervention was the provision of a huge fish to save him from drowning. Maybe not the most glamorous way to be saved, but Jonah articulates in Jonah 2:9, "Salvation comes from the Lord." We may feel banished from God's sight but we are one call away, and therefore, very close to God's rescue. 

How can you turn it around? Process your distress. What do you own in the existence of challenges in your life? Give an honest appraisal.

Then cry out to the Lord. Turn yourself completely to the Lord and his love and truth.

Lastly, wait and expect God's intervention. I know that in just a few days I am expecting God to turn it all around and there will surely be glory after this. And I want to encourage you that whatever your situation is, whether you lost your job, lost a loved one, going through a painful divorce or diagnosed with a life threatening disease, do not loose faith! There is always light at the end of the tunnel, just as there is calm after the storm. The God who delivered Jonah is still the same God yesterday, today and forever! You can take comfort knowing that He will never forsake you or leave you! The Bible is full of God's promises, those are His words. Because His words are true and gives life we can use His words to get out of any situation. This lens is about learning how to claim God's promises in the midst of the storm. To pray God's words through a time of crises and coming out victorious! This lens is for all of you who are facing the storms of life to know that must rejoice now because "He Turned It". 

Enter into The Sanctuary to praise Him for turning your mourning into dancing!

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