Swallowed Up In Mercy

There was a man in named Jonah, whose story is told in the Bible. He told God that he would go somewhere for Him, and then he reneged on his promise. What followed was interesting, as the men that were on the ship with him discovered that Jonah had disobeyed God. A storm was buffeting them, and they blamed Jonah. So 0verboard he went.

Then Jonah prayed like this:

Jonah 2

Jonah's Prayer

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God while in the stomach of the fish, 2 saying, "I called out to the Lord because of my trouble, and He answered me. I cried for help from the place of the dead, and You heard my voice. 3 You threw me into the deep waters, to the very bottom of the sea. A flood was all around me and all Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been sent away from Your eyes. But I will look again toward Your holy house.' 5 Waters closed in over me. The sea was all around me. Weeds were around my head. 6 I went down to the roots of the mountains. The walls of the earth were around me forever. But You have brought me up from the grave, O Lord my God. 7 While I was losing all my strength, I remembered the Lord. And my prayer came to You, into Your holy house. 8 Those who worship false gods have given up their faith in You. 9 But I will give gifts in worship to You with a thankful voice. I will give You what I have promised. The Lord is the One Who saves."
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto the dry land.

I bet your God hasn't done that! (Unless your God is The God!)

Givers and Takers, Movers and Shakers

Naaman was a giver. Gehazi was a taker. The story is in II Kings 5. Naaman was grateful for what God had done for him, and wanted to give to the man of God. Gehazi was a taker, an opportunist, who tried to take advantage of a situation that did not include him. Naaman was blessed with health, and Gehazi, well, his taking gained leprosy for him and his whole family.

It's a funny thing. Givers are blessed and happy, and takers are left wanting. It is God's way.

Givers are facilitators. They cause things to happen in the lives of others. We might call them movers and shakers. Those that have the ability, because of selflessness, to get things done in God's economy.

Takers live in a small world. It is all about themselves, and thus others are often in the way. If anything does get done, it is self-absorbed, and no one else is benefited.

People are drawn to givers. God has put that spirit in us. Luke 6:38 Let's grow together in giving.

Tuning In On Depression (In Brief)

We are not designed to be problem solvers. Sorry about that.

We were not equipped to handle every situation that confronts us. Nope, we were not.

We do not have heroic qualities. Not on our own.

We were made to please God. With faith producing the action of the verb.

We were made to love unconditionally. No mind games or manipulations, just love.

We were created to live for others. Self is dethroned, and the other person is exalted.


I have heard it said that 1 in 7 college students suffer from clinical depression. Frankly, I am surprised that it isn't a higher percentage. College can be all about solving problems, or trying to learn to cope. Many attend college in the hope of become a hero in their field, at least in their own eyes. Pleasing God is not part of the curriculum. Love is, for the most part, distorted. And self is most certainly King.

This stacks up to a formula for depression. When I force myself into a role that I was not designed for, my mind will suffer the consequences. If I don't numb it out somehow, it will crash, and depression occurs.

Depression is hard to cure clinically, but much easier to treat with right thinking. God teaches us how to think. Healthy thinking produces healthy, happy, and successful living.

We were made for it!

Psalms 42:5; Philippians 1:6

Good Vibrations or Counterfeit Communication?

Man is attracted to beauty. The wonder of a fiery sunset, the amazement at the great expanse of the oceans, or being caught up in the vibrancy of color found in flowers. It is part of man, built in to him, to respond to such things. When we consider the many beautiful things that this earth contains, it draws us to the notion that there truly is a God. It is as if creation speaks to us. Romans 1:20 (New International Reader's Version) Ever since the world was created it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen. I'm talking about his eternal power and about the fact that he is God. Those things can be seen in what he has made. So people have no excuse for what they do.

Undeniably, creation does speak to us. If we are listening, the message is crystal clear.

There is another entity that seeks to commune with man. Ever since his exile to this planet, he has been scheming to revenge himself for the indictment placed upon him. When man was introduced, Satan paid close attention to the relationship that God desired with this new creation. He saw how God ministered and communicated with man, even through the beauty of the world. If God could move the soul of man through impressions, then surely Satan could too. The proof was born at the Tree of Knowledge in the center of the Garden. Satan disguised himself as the most beautiful of creatures and waited in the tree. The Bible, in Genesis 3, says that the serpent spoke to Eve. I believe he did. But was it with words? Was it a talking beast? Or was it through impressions, vibrations, if you will. Perhaps it was at that point in history that the soul of man was introduced to the vibrations of the atmosphere, tempting and drawing him away from the gentle leading of God.

There are some things that Satan cannot counterfeit. One of them is the way that God speaks in depth to the depths of man's soul. It is the way that He meets man, right where he is, with love and compassion; with grace and mercy. These things cannot be mimicked.

And then there is the Cross. The ultimate defeat of the devil, and the ultimate victory for mankind. The cross is the place where man is forever reconciled to his God, by faith. It is the greatest communication of love in history!

The staff of Verticalink want to help define the difference between 'good vibrations' and the still small voice of God to man. Join us as we explore!