From The Mouths Of Babes

Wow. Have you ever had your basic theology corrected by a five-year-old? Today Zeke and I were reading the story of Jonah, and after I’d read this page…

…Zeke asked, “How did that big storm get there?”

“God sent it.” I explained.

Zeke: Why? Why did God send a storm?

Me: Because He was very angry with Jonah for running away from him.

Zeke: But…uh, Mummy, isn’t there a verse somewhere in the Bible that says that…uh, that God is slow to get angry? Isn’t there a verse that says that?

I remembered him learning that verse (Psalm 86:15) in the fall, and was surprised and pleased that he remembered it! “You’re absolutely right Zeke. There is a verse that says that… I don’t know then…why do you think He sent it?”

Zeke: Well…uh, I think maybe He just wanted to get Jonah’s attention.

We finished reading the story, and then I thought I’d check out the account in the Bible. You know what? It never says that the Lord was angry with Jonah! It tells us that the Lord arranged for this, that, and the other thing to happen, but we’re not told that He was motivated by anger. Zeke, I believe, was perfectly right! God wanted to get Jonah’s attention.

Wow. I tremble when I think of how my small-minded and very skewed perception of God could affect my children! It’s scary! I don’t want them to be held back by my “issues.”  My prayer for this generation of children is that they would pursue God in a way that would put my generation to shame! That they would know Him in a much deeper and intimate way than I. That they would be revealing things to us about the Lord that we’ve never dreamed of! Amen!