Tuesday, November 8, 2022

 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022


Psalms 20; 21

Jonah 2

Revelation 3:7-13


Observance: Saints, martyrs, missionaries and teachers of the Anglican Communion


Now I know that the Lord will save His anointed: that He will answer him from His holy heaven with the victorious strength of His right hand.


Philadelphia is home to another one of those churches of whom Jesus has nothing against. Though they have little power, their patient endurance holds them in good stead with the Holy One, the True One. They are also another church who is suffering under the “synagogue of Satan”: those who say that they are Jews, and are not, but are lying.


Jonah’s suffering, on the other hand, is completely self-inflicted. He has disobeyed a direct commandment from God. Trying to run away from God is an exercise in futility, and God decided to chase Jonah down with a storm: the result for Jonah being tossed into the sea.


Two types of suffering: one from God’s enemies, the other we do to ourselves when we disobey the Lord. God is many things, but above all, God is holy: any imperfections with which we stain God’s holy perfection is met with righteous wrath in return. This goes both for God’s explicit enemies, such as those in the synagogue of Satan, as well as for us, God’s children. However, God expresses His wrath differently depending on whether we are His friend or His enemy.


Even Jonah, when he was tossed into the sea, was saved by God’s providence when he was swallowed up by the fish. Look at how generous and patient our Lord is with us! Instead of condemning Jonah at the first slight, Jonah was given time to reflect and repent. Jonah’s prayer of repentance was heard by God, who spoke to the fish, and dropped Jonah off on the beach.


Jesus is happy with the church in Philadelphia for their patient endurance, and He can see something of Himself in that, for He is the ultimate expression of patient endurance with how He treats all of us. Jesus is our Friend. When we wound Him, He has all the excuse in the world to drop us. But He is the Perfect Friend, and will always look for a reason to forgive us when we hurt Him, and to protect us when others try to hurt us.


Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful
who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
take it to the Lord in prayer!



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