QUOTES ON TOP

“I want something really worthwhile to live for. I want to invest this one life of mine as wisely as possible, in the place that yields the richest profits to the world and me…wherever it is, I want it to be God’s choice for me and not my own… Christ said, “He that would find his life shall lose it” and proved the truth of this divine paradox at Calvary. I want Him to lead me and His Holy Spirit to fill me.” – Betty Stam

Friday, July 24, 2015

OFFER THANKSGIVING AND VOWS TO GOD EVEN AFTER RECEIVING YOUR BLESSING



Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.” – Jonah 1:16

God asked Jonah to go to the city of Ninevah and cry out against it. Instead of going to the city of Ninevah, Jonah got into a ship which goes to Tarshish. Jonah decided to ran away from the presence of God. 

As the ship was on its journey, a huge storm created a mighty tempest on sea and the ship was about to be broken up. Everyone in the ship was so afraid and they might have thought that they will lose their life on that day. 

As they found out that the trouble had come upon them because of Jonah, they asked him what they have to do to him. Jonah told them to cast him away into the sea. But they could not do that and so they tried their best to get back the control of the ship so that they can return to the nearby land. 

Their effort was in vain and so they threw him into the sea. Before throwing him into the sea they prayed asking God to forgive them because they feared that if they kill a innocent blood they will get curse. 

One side they were afraid of their lives and on the other side they were afraid that curse might come upon them if they threw Jonah into the sea. But as they threw him into the sea with fears and so many thoughts, they found that the sea immediately ceased from its raging. 

Their problem was over. They all were mariners and they knew that they can continue their journey in peace as there was no storm and no hard waves. They could have easily concentrated on their other works. But what they did was so amazing. 

Bible says that they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows. Even though their problem got over, they had never forgotten to offer thanksgiving to God. 

There were times we face so many troubles and we cry to God for help. God has heard our prayers and He helped us to come out of those troubles. What we do after that? We think that God has done His duty and we move on with other things. Have you ever stopped after God has done a miracle in your life and offered the sacrifice of thanksgiving? We should thank God for what He has done in our lives. We should never forget what He has done to us and for us. 

The next part surprised me a lot. They offered sacrifice. That’s good but Bible continues to say that they took vows. 

God spoke to me through that verse and asked whether I took vows after God has done a miracle. To my knowledge I had never done that. But yesterday God spoke to me saying that it’s important to take vows even after receiving a blessing from God. 

In 1 Samuel 1:11, we read that Hannah made a vow to God as she was seeking a blessing of having a child. She made a vow as she put her petition to God. We have done that so many times. But it’s different from what the mariners did. They vowed after they received a blessing. They vowed when their life was in full of peace. 

My dear young friends, Let us learn to offer thanksgiving to God and let us take vow even after receiving a blessing from God. If you do this, God will be greatly happy for you and He will bless you much more.

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