~God! Yes... when there's something strange... in the neighborhood... there's a better option than the Ghostbusters! Who knew? ;o) I for one am so thankful for God's protection in so many circumstances... from times I'm stuck in the belly of a whale to the moments I feel weak to the everyday providence of my needs.
Protection from Danger
Jonah 1:1-4:11 (New book!- and what a book it is!)
"When I was in danger, I called to the Lord, and he answered me. I was about to die, so I cried to you, and you heard my voice." (Jonah 2:1-2)
As I read and reread this beautiful passage, I found it so difficult to narrow down what I would really meditate upon... I feel this story is really worth at least a weeks study, probably much much more. It's so wonderfully strange really. "What's so strange?" Well, I'm glad you asked. ;o)
1. Jonah actually tells the people on the ship that he's running away from the Lord (1:10). When was the last time you heard someone tell you that?
2. Jonah suggests having them throw him into the sea to calm it down (1:12)!
3. And while inside the fish, Jonah prays about God saving him... praying as if God has already saved him (2:1-2).
Ok, so the peculiarities and beauty of this passage don't stop there... but that's what I'd like to write about today. Jonah is an amazing character in that he displays the ability to pray with the utmost confidence that God is listening and capable of protecting him from his present danger. He's so confident, in fact, that he prays as if it has already happened. I know, I know... this seems to be in direct conflict with yesterday's reflection on "Amen" or "So be it." But, I think there is a complementary relationship hidden there. We pray, knowing that God is our protector from danger, knowing that He will protect us somehow... how exactly? We're not quite sure... "so be it."
Protection from my own Weakness
Psalm 144:1-8
"He protects me like a strong, walled city, and he loves me. He is my defender and my Savior, my shield and my protection." (Psalm 144:2)
I think Max Lucado puts it very well when he talks about each of us being a "bruised reed". I cannot think of anyone I know, save the very very young, who have not been through any difficulty in their life. (Perhaps even the young aren't an exception, but their world is smaller so smaller things seem to be of greater importance.) Max suggests that we have been bruised by "harsh words, a friend's anger," a co-worker or boss's betrayal... it seems that everyone wants to give up on us because of our imperfections, our bruises.
But God offers us protection from this rejection, the world that wants to break us for admitting our own vulnerability. It's funny, but until the 4th or 5th time I read this passage, I didn't take in the word "love." Such an important element of this scripture! Many (our ghost-busting friends included) want to offer us protection for the price of a fancy alarm system or gaurd dog or secure bank account... but they do not offer us love as well. God's protection comes with love... He is not only my protector but my Savior!
Protection through Providing for my Needs
Proverbs 30:7-9
"I ask two things from you, Lord. Don't refuse me before I die. Keep me from lying and being dishonest. And don't make me either rich or poor; just give me enough food for each day. If I have too much, I might reject you and say, 'I don't know the Lord.' If I am poor I might steal and disgrace the name of my God.'" (Proverbs 30:7-9)
These verses touch on such a complex issue- 'rich' and 'poor'- a social construct, relative to the person and society with which you are surrounded.
I've told many people about where I lived in Campo Limpo, and I loved my home so much that I'd talk about the people and the places and the wonderful things I'd see day to day. When people came to visit me and were shocked with what the place actually looked like, I remembered that I needed to change my tune somewhat... remembering that people back home might see it without my rose-colored glasses, painted such by my wonderful friendships with the paulistas.
My friends from Campinas... or even other neighborhoods in Campo Limpo would ask me about "life in the favela." "What favela?" I would think, because to my neighbors and I ... we didn't live in the favela. To us, the favela was down the hill from us. Yet to those people, the favela was probably in some other corner of the city. Who lives in a favela? Who is 'rich' and who is 'poor'?
Yes, our needs must be met for a certain level of society... so that people may not be 'dying in poverty' (like David Radcliff, I agree that there is no such thing as 'living' in truely impoverished situations). But these verses seem to wisely pray for 'contentment'- that the Lord provide enough for each day. My daily bread, my daily manna... Lord, protect me from rejecting you (as the rich sometimes do) or dishonesty (as the poor sometimes do) by being content with the way You protect me... and provide my daily needs.
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