Calamity and the Presence of God

Thought I would start a discussion out of my newest Precept bible study, a 2-week one on Jonah. I feel pretty familiar (maybe too familiar) with this story in the VeggieTale style. But, today, in Precept style, I was instructed to read Jonah 1, marking in the text any key phrases and words. One of these words was calamity which was used as a synonym to storm.

Here are the questions I had to answer (and my answers)... interesting where it took me.

ON DISASTER/CALAMITY:
3a. Did you note who caused the calamity? Did it become more calmitous?

• God caused the calamity due to Jonah fleeing His presence. It became worse when the sailors tried NOT to follow instruction to throw Jonah into the sea.

3b. What stopped the calamity?

• Obeying God's direction through Jonah to throw him (Jonah) into sea

5. Now, let's take a few minutes to look at other passages that deal with calamity. As you look up each reference, note what you learn about calamity and what a person should do when it happens. Also, if the passage tells you, note who or what causes the calamity.

• Isaiah 45:7 - I form light and create darkness. I make success and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.
• Jeremiah 18:7-11 - At one moment, I might announce concerning a nation... that I will uproot, tear down and destroy it...However, if that nation... turns from evil, I will not bring the disaster on it.
• Daniel 9:11-14 - All Isreal has broken Your law...refusing to obey You. The promised curse written in the law...has been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. He has carried out His words...by bringing on us so great a disaster... So the Lord kept the disaster in mind...for the Lord is righteous in all He has done.

ON GOD'S PRESENCE:
1. When you marked your references to Jonah and then listed what you observed, according to Jonah 1:3, where did Jonah go with respecct to the Lord?

• from the presence of the Lord - repeated 3 times

2. The Word of God makes it clear that God is omnipresent; as Psalm 139 says, there is no hiding from Him. Therefore the statement that Jonah went "from the presence of the Lord" is interesting, isn't it? What does it mean? Is it possible for someone to do this today? If so, how?

• Genesis 3:1-18 - Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord God...and they hid themselves from the Lord God. God responded with a curse on the serpent, women and men.
• Genesis 4:1-16
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 - so it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you. [This will take place] at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels.

From all you have seen, what do you think it means when it says Jonah went from the presence of the Lord? How was it dones? Is there any application for us?

Henna was had by all!

Here's some pictures from Friday night - we ended up pick up the henna from Macy at iHenna.com around 12:30am... and doing it on our body until about 4:30am!

Slumber Party

We're having a slumber party on November 10th!
If you wanna come, go to the Evite and get the most current info.
We will do henna, eat, talk, watch movies, color hair, whatever you suggest!