Can you imagine what it would be like if God appointed you to be one of His prophets? How cool would that be if God said, “Raina, I want you to go to Afghanistan to the terrorist training camps and I want you to tell the terrorists to stop what they are doing or else…”. Umm…say what, say what?! Not so cool after all.
God appointed Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Malachi to be prophets. God spoke through them and they delivered God’s message to remind people of God’s Word. I would say that all of these prophets endured ridicule, pain, and suffering. Yet, to our benefit, we can learn something from all of them.
Isaiah gives us hope. He foretold that the Messiah was coming and that Jesus would sacrifice Himself for us. Jeremiah gives us encouragement. Jeremiah reminds us not to get caught up in earthly pleasures, but to fill ourselves up with the Lord’s promises instead. Daniel shows us what real faithfulness and endurance looks like. Although the odds were totally against him, he knew that God would save him. Jonah, well Jonah was a wimp. And Malachi gave us great advice as to how we can live godly lives.
So let’s back up. Yes, I said Jonah was a wimp! I don’t blame the guy, I too am a wimp. I admit it. Hey, maybe you are a wimp too! I can totally relate to Jonah. I’ve run away when God clearly spoke to me and disobeyed Him. But thankfully, I think, at least I won’t be swallowed by a big fish! Although, I might as well be swallowed by a big fish. Imagine being in a fish’s belly. Ew! It’s dark, cold, and lonely. That’s exactly how I feel when I run away from what God has called me to do. Jonah ended up obeying God and I eventually end up doing so too. Like Jonah, we learn the hard way and go through trials and tribulations, but God is always there graciously helping us through.
Although I am not blessed with the gifts that prophets are given, I can still hear God speaking to me when I am being obedient to Him by diving into His word and by talking to Him through prayer. Now, I know that God hasn’t called me to be a prophet, but I do know that God has called me to spread His message and to live out a life that pleases Him.
Raina
P.S. Parents, follow along with your kids here
Don’t underestimate Raina. She might be small, but she’s got a big heart for our kids. Raina has taken our weekday program for kids from a small mother’s morning out program to a multi-day preschool and summer fun program.