The Provisions Of God

"But Jonah ran away from the LORD...Then the LORD sent such a violent storm...But the LORD provided a great fish...Jonah became angry...Jonah went out and made himself a shelter...Then the LORD provided a vine...But at dawn the next day God provided a worm that chewed up the vine...God provided a scorching east wind and the sun blazed...Book of Jonah

As the line of the movie is written, 'What we have here is a failure to communicate!' God went out of His way to make Jonah understand the poor condition of his heart and the effects on his fellowship with God. Jonah went out of his way to avoid knowing what God was trying to reveal to him. Jonah was one of God's chosen and beloved prophets. Notice how many times the passage records God's provisions in response to Jonah's actions or attitude. Some provisions were for deliverence and comfort while other provisions were given to discipline, teach and clarify. Jonah was the determining factor of what he would experience. God sent a storm, a great fish, a withering plant, an east wind and scorching sun. At any point Jonah had the authority and ability to stop these adversities. His pride and stubbornness brought on each degree of his trial. Remember, Jonah obeyed God the second time God commanded him to share the message of God, but the suffering continued. God wanted so much more from Jonah than action -he wanted his reconditioned heart.

God will not stop short in the molding, massaging and transforming of our hearts. He will not relent when He feels it is a question of our growth being thwarted. God's provisions will be in our circumstances regardless if they are a result of our stubbornness, pride or through something outside of our control.

Bottom line is we will never experience anything that God has not allowed and provided for in that season. We must approach our adversitites with total belief in deliverence, faith in God's presence and humility in the journey.