Musings From The Motel

Rowing And Self Effort

tomgilliam — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:24:52 +0000

Let us muse today from Jonah 1:13-15 and Jonah’s foolish disobedience in his storm. I see today in our text a rowing and self effort on display. The men on board sought to row to shore but could not. There is nowhere in the Bible where anyone arrived on shore safely by rowing. Rowing is always a picture of a self effort. Let us today throw our oars of self effort in the water and seek to bow to the Lord in all our expectations. May we pray Lord do your will on the earth in our lives as your will is being done on the earth.

Distancing Oneself From God

tomgilliam — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:46:46 +0000

Let us muse today from Jonah 1:6-12 and Jonah’s foolish disobedience in his storm. Let us look at distancing oneself from God. Jonah is sleeping in apathy and the captain awakens him to pray for their predicament. The men on board want to know if the problem is on board and they choose lots and the lot falls on Jonah. The men on board or exceedingly afraid because Jonah has told them that he was running from God. Jonah told them to throw him overboard and the sea would become calm. Oh how our God has ways of cornering up those for whom He loves.

Jonah’s Apathy

tomgilliam — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:38:33 +0000

Let us muse today from Jonah 1:5 and Jonah’s foolish disobedience in his storm. This disobedience will not only cloud one’s discernment but it will leave us in great spiritual apathy. While all on board the ship were doing what they could to keep it afloat remember most of these men were pagans Jonah was down below asleep during the storm. I do not feel it was not a sleep of peace but apathy. Let us not be foolish in apathy when the winds of adversity are blowing around us and those we love. I remember in the parable of the Bridegroom when He came He found all the virgins saved and lost asleep in apathy.

The Sovereign With Persuasion

tomgilliam — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:38:29 +0000

Let us muse today from Jonah 1:4 and Jonah’s storm. We are looking at Jonah’s foolish disobedience. I find today in verse 4 the sovereign with persuasion. Jonah has decided to flee from God’s presence. The Lord sent out a great wind and mighty tempest into the sea that caused all on board the ship to think it would be broken in pieces All storms do not come because of our disobedience. Let us be mindful of willful disobedience in our lives that may cause the winds of adversity to blow us back into His arms.That my friend is the sovereign with persuasion.

Disobedience and the Downward Movement

tomgilliam — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:34:12 +0000

Let us continue to muse today from Jonah’s storm in 1:3 and Jonah’s foolish disobedience. Let us see today that disobedience always causes us to do foolish things and always leads downward. I see in verse three he went down to Joppa, then down into the ship, and soon down into the depths of the sea. The foolish thing disobedience caused Jonah to do was to try to flee from the presence of God. On two occasions he said he would flee from God’s presence. How foolish for the number two is the number of Christ and He said I’ll never leave you. Surely Jonah knew this principle but disobedience clouded his discernment in making that truth his own.

Jonah’s Foolish Disobedience

tomgilliam — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:26:00 +0000

Let us begin today to muse from Jonah 1:1-3 and Jonah’s storm. I want to look in our text today at Jonah’s foolish disobedience. In verses 1-2 there is a clear word from God to go to Nineveh and preached the judgment of God to them. Let us be careful not to operate in the realm of willful disobedience to a clear word from God. It may cause a storm to arise with such devastation you will never get over it in this life.

The Persuasion Is Birthed In All Storms

tomgilliam — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:57:03 +0000

Let us begin today to muse on the sixth and final storm in our studies of sailing over life’s stormy sea. Today we will begin to look at Jonah’s storm where we find the persuasion is birthed in all storms. Years ago my wife and I were in a service where a lady who was about to sing testified and said God was a gentleman and would not make you do anything you’re not willing to do. I leaned over to my wife and asked her if Jonah thought God was a gentleman. God always uses storms as a source of leverage to persuade us and if the truth be known we would not do anything that He does not make us willing to do. Spurgeon said God never saves a man apart from his will but he must make him willing if he is ever to be saved.

Morning Is Near

tomgilliam — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:05:08 +0000

Let us muse today from Acts 27:33 and a fourth attitude displayed by Paul in his storm. It is the attitude of let the night come. Today we look at the fact that morning is near. God never made a night that He did not connect a morning to it. The sun will shine again. Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. He is the bright and morning star and He always arises to announce the day is here. I am glad I can say today about our storm: He is the author of the wind, He is the captain of my ship, He is the announcer of the day, and I’m just going to believe God in the midst of my storms.

Let The Night Come

tomgilliam — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:19:26 +0000

Let us muse today on a fourth attitude displayed by Paul in the storm of Acts 27. It is the attitude of let the night come. I draw our attention first of all to the mention of the night. In 27:20-23 I see there has been no sun for many days. In 27:27 Luke says it is the fourteenth night of the storm. The number 14 in the Bible is always the number of divine supernatural deliverance. I see in the text it is midnight which always speaks of desperation. Midnight in the Bible is mentioned fourteenth times. You would almost think that God wrote the Bible. So we see from the text it is a time of desperation and only divine supernatural deliverance can get them out. I see in the mention of the night that when it comes for us He is more than able to come through with divine supernatural deliverance.

The Captain Of The Ship

tomgilliam — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:39:29 +0000

Let us muse again today on Paul’s storm in Acts 27 and the attitude displayed of let the ship rock. I want to turn our attention to Hebrews 2:10 and the captain of the ship. In our text the writer says the captain of our salvation was perfected through suffering. It is here our Lord is referred to as our captain. Let us in our storms not put our attention on the sinking of the ship but let us focus on whether the captain is on board or not. If He is on the ship let me remind us that no water can swallow the ship were lies the master of the ocean, earth, and sky. If He is aboard let or attitude be let the ship rock