N.K. and Nineveh

I know a lot of people back home are worried about the whole situation with N.K., so here are a couple things to ease your minds. First, a message from the U.S. Embassy in Korea that I received this morning:

“The U.S. Embassy informs U.S. citizens that despite current political tensions with North Korea there is no specific information to suggest there are imminent threats to U.S. citizens or facilities in the Republic of Korea (ROK).  The Embassy has not changed its security posture and we have not recommended that U.S. citizens who reside in, or plan to visit, the Republic of Korea take special security precautions at this time.  The U.S. Embassy takes as its highest priority the welfare of American citizens in Korea.  Should the security situation change, the Embassy will issue updated information.”

Please don’t worry friends. :)

And second, all that being said, I am safest right where God wants me. Just think of Jonah! God wanted him in Nineveh, someplace so evil that God was threatening to destroy them. Jonah thought that was pretty crazy. There was no way God could REALLY want him to go someplace so dangerous! So, he ran the other way. And what happened? First, he almost got a whole shipload of people killed in a huge storm, and then he got eaten by a fish!

Eaten! 

By a giant fish! 

WHAT?! 

And when he finally got out of the fish, guess what, God hadn’t decided that Jonah was right and Nineveh was too dangerous after all. He didn’t say, “Since you’re so worried, I’ll let you go someplace else.” No, he gave him the same message, “Go to Nineveh.” And when Jonah obeyed God and went, was he in another storm? Did the people of Nineveh capture him and kill him? Did he get swallowed by any other bizarrely massive animals? Nope! Safe as could be. Now, if you’ve read the story you know that he even had a pretty bad attitude about the whole thing and he was still safe. He got a little reprimand at the end, but no smiting or anything.

So to sum it up: When Jonah tried to follow his own plan for safety he had trouble, but when he followed God’s seemingly crazy plan he was safe.

Does this mean that people who follow God will never have trouble and always be safe? Of course not. God works in many ways and sometimes trouble and danger are part of what it takes to bring God glory. When I’m following God, the trials I encounter help to draw others and myself closer to God. What more could I hope for my life?!

But if I’m running from God, trying to live a life away from danger and hardship, first off, I won’t succeed, and second, I won’t bring glory to God. Double fail. And ... I really don’t want to smell like fish…

So, please keep N.K. in your prayers. Regardless of what happens, the people who live there are still suffering. Pray for N.K. to be like Nineveh! Pray for them to turn from their wickedness and be saved! It may sound impossible and crazy, but after all, God’s crazy plans are the best.