Are we ready to obey, pray, repent ?

God has commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach them to repent. But instead of obeying God's command, he headed for Tarshish. All of us know what happened to Jonah. The same is happening to us in our daily life also. God directs us what to do, but we don't accept it as we have our own plan and go ahead with that. But eventually our plan fails. It's the same saying as 'man proposes, but God disposes'. God disposes our plans only if it is contradicting with His plan. Even if He disposes our plans, He will take care of us. If we fell into traps due to our own plan, He will not allow us to be crushed under it. But remember we will be inside the 'fish' of complications striving to get out. The fish obeyed the command of God not to eat and digest Jonah, but only to swallow, and after three days to vomit him on dry land. The leafy plant obeyed the command of God to grow above Jonah and give him shade. The worm obeyed the command of God to chew this plant, and the sun and wind also obeyed His commands. Are we ready to obey His commands and live accordingly? Let's practice obedience on the first day of lent.

We can get out of the 'fish' if we pray and submit ourselves to God as Jonah did. Jonah testifies that God answered him when he called in his distress; God listened to his cry when he called for help. He promises that he will look again to the temple of God even though God put him through many hardships. He acknowledges that God is the one who lift him from the abyss. Our prayer should also be a total submission to God, same as Jonah's prayer. Our mind and heart should be fully immersed in the prayer. Nothing should distract us. We should totally disconnect ourselves from the worldly feelings. As we are inside the 'fish', we will have only one prayer: 'Lord, please get me out of this situation'. God will deliver us from our sufferings. Are we ready to pray by totally submitting ourselves to God? Let's do a prayerful self-submission on the second day of lent.

Jonah proclaimed to the Ninevites that 'forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown'. After hearing this, they believed in God; a fast was proclaimed and they put on sackcloth and prayed. They did not taste, and eat and drink anything. They gave up their evil ways and violence. The above proclamation by Jonah is aimed at us also as we are more or less the same as the Ninevites. Remember the words, 'forty more days, and we may be overthrown'. The countdown has started! Are we ready to repent like the Ninevites? As the King of Nineveh took off his royal robes, let's took off our luxuries and live on the necessities and pray. Let's fast like the Ninevites. God excused the Ninevites as they turned away from their evil ways. He will also forgive us just as he forgave the Ninevites. Let's repent from the depth of our heart on the third day of lent.

Even though the deadline for Ninevites was forty days, God blessed their generation to last for another century and half, because they obeyed, prayed and repented. God is giving us a chance to obey, pray and repent, to get blessed. Let's make use of it during these three days of lent and beyond so that our generations will last forever.

"As Thou didst answer Jonah, answer us who call on Thee.
Thou redeemest those from wrath, Ninevites who called on Thee."

Are we ready to go and see Him ?

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (John 1:43-51)

We may have issues relating to our job, children's education, marriage, illness, poverty, and so forth. When we have these sufferings, usually we stay apart from the crowd. We start cursing our fate. We may not pray, as we have the same above question in mind as of Nathanael, even if some of our friends tell us to pray to God. We may not mingle with others or we may prefer to stay at home in solitude same like Nathanael sitting under the 'fig tree'. Nathanael was expecting the savior. We also are expecting our lord to solve our issues, but only waiting for Him. But He has seen us sitting under the 'fig tree' with our sufferings. For giving us the relief, Jesus calls us through His disciple 'come and see'. But are we ready to go and see Him even though there is an invitation ?

Let's decide to 'go and see Him'. How should we be to see Him - "be a righteous in whom there is no deceit.” Even though there is an invitation to see Him, neither the venue nor the date and time is mentioned. It's an open invitation. We can go and see Him anywhere and anytime. Let's see where and when we can see Him ? Have we saw a hungry person who need food ? Have we saw a thirsty person who need something to drink ? Have we saw a stranger who need help or a place to stay ? Have we saw a person who need clothing ? Have we saw a sick person who need our care ? Have we visited a prisoner who need our love to transform ? If yes, many a times we have seen Him, but unfortunately may not have identified Him. Even then we definitely may have got a feeling that our sufferings are nothing when compared to the sufferings of these people. That itself will boost our morale. Imagine how much they will be happy if we solve their problems. Definitely it will be more than the happiness we receive when God solve our small issues. Let's fulfill their requirements as a righteous person without any deceit will do. Then we can make sure that we had seen Him . For He said "whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did it for me.’ (Matt 25:31-46)

What is the benefit of going and seeing Him ?  Our Lord promised that "We will see greater things; We will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The angels will go up with our problems, and come down with solutions as blessings to the sons of men. It's a promise from our Lord to us. Let's go and see Him to be showered with blessings as the heaven will be opened when we go and see Him.

Are we ready to be in the catch for Him ?

Jesus said, “I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17
Everyone knows that the simple meaning of the above verse is a divine call to discipleship. I think there is another very important message implied in this verse. It's best for every one to be a disciple. But if one can't, why can't be at least in the catch mentioned in the above verse.

All of us know the benefit of getting a catch of fish. If a catch of fish have that much benefit, then how much more will be the benefit of a catch of people. Imagine it yourself.

It seems from the above verse that Jesus is looking for a catch of people. Is there any reason for that ? If we relate the word  'catch' to the 'cache' in computer science, the reason will be clear. In computer science, a cache is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The greater the number of requests that can be served from the cache, the faster the overall system performance becomes. Otherwise, if one have something abundantly in hand,  those resources can be utilized easily and speedily if a request comes for the same. If Jesus have a cache of utilizable people in hand, the request from the needy can be easily and speedily fulfilled on this earth itself. If people on earth helps the needy, then the request need not reach Him; But He will be glorified by the needy, as that request was fulfilled from His cache. If He can feed five thousand people with  a catch of two fish, imagine the number of people who can be fed with a catch of useful people. Fish will satisfy the hunger, but people can satisfy the need for food, cloth, shelter etc; I mean almost all the necessities of the needy.

Let's be willing to share ourselves to care others. Let's be in the catch for Him so that He can use us from the cache, rather than continue to be a 'big fish' out of the net.