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Ascribe to the Lord, O daughters of the mighty, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in holy array.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders,

The Lord is over many waters.

~ Psalm 29:1-3



Good morning my dear sister!

Last week, as I was pondering and praying about what to write to you, my Bible fell open to the book of Jonah. Do I believe that God will reveal His will through a ‘random’ act of opening my Bible? Yes, I do! In fact, the Lord has proven to me time and time again that:

1. He hears me when I call upon his Name

2. His every word is living and active and speaks to my spirit 

3. When I believe and am obedient, His promises bear fruit in my day

There is nowhere more sure where you can find God’s will for you than in His Word!  His Word has stood the test of time and the trials of real life. God’s word fills every need, addresses every situation and remains true throughout all the fluctuations of human society. God’s Word is life! His promises are real!

So, getting back to Jonah; this little book, barely two pages long, is just packed with snapshots of God’s miraculous mercy and boundless grace! For a few moments as you read this, put yourself in Jonah’s position, a servant of the most high God.

First, God calls His servant and instructs him to go to a place he doesn’t want to go. Creds to the servant for hearing, but not wanting to follow through, he runs in the opposite direction and tries to hide. (ever been there?) 

The Lord, still following after him, makes life difficult for him and those around him in order to draw him back to accomplish His good plan. (how often do we bring suffering upon ourselves?) Trouble gets worse and the unbelievers around him, realizing their own gods are helpless to save them, seek out this servant to find out what trouble he has brought upon them all. The servant confesses his sin and, despairing of life, orders the unbelievers to deliver him back to his Maker, which can only be accomplished by tossing him into the raging storm. 

They don’t want to do that, but as the turmoil worsens, the unbelievers realize that there is indeed a living and fearsome God, Who rules over all. They throw him into the sea, along with a prayer to the servant’s God that He will not count his execution against them.  

The turmoil stops immediately and awe overwhelms the former unbelievers as they believe, worship and make vows to follow the only true God! That is a hard way to evangelize, but if God wants something done, He’ll find a way! 

God hears when we call upon His Name.

Meanwhile, the servant, who has not died, calls out to God in repentance and worship. His situation is not good, but while he has breath in his body, he worships the Lord by recalling His word. He didn’t have a Bible with him, mind you. God’s word was hidden in His heart and the Lord brought it to his remembrance as he sought to worship, even in his dire circumstances. He finally puts on his ‘holy array’ of humility, repentance and awe.

God’s Word is living and active, it is life to our spirits!


Finally, the servant’s life is spared and he continues on, going in the right direction to fulfill the mission God required of him. The Lord strengthens him and gives him the words that have such a great effect that a whole nation repents and believes the one true God, who is mighty, glorious and strong, yet merciful and forgiving!!

When we believe God’s Word and are obedient to do His will, our lives bear much good fruit.

I wonder what Jonah (the servant) would have done if he had not been able to recall the Word of God? His prayer, praise and worship were formed from the words God had spoken to previous rulers and prophets before him. He remembered God’s faithfulness, mercy and love because He knew the word of God!

God promises that He is with us at all times. When we read His Word and allow it to soak into our spirits, the Lord will bring it to our remembrance whether we’re singing for joy or despairing in the deepest depths. Allow the Word of Life to be your daily nourishment and you will continually see reasons to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name!

May the Lord richly bless you, my dear sister, as He strengthens you with a new song!!

With love, your sister, Celeste