Soul Scientist

This picture can be seen in multiple different ways by someone, depending on one’s perspective.

Here’s my take on two different ways:

(1) delightfully floating in the ocean watching a beautiful sunset while waiting for someone else to prepare a delicious dinner on a nice vacation to the beach

(2) barely having the strength to keep my head above water all the while knowing night is coming soon with hungry sharks and no rescue in sight

Both situations should prompt prayer, be it praise or petition. Both situations could promote peace, be it in the belly of a ship or the belly of a whale, just ask Jesus or Jonah (see Mark 4:35-41 and Jonah 1:17). Both situations would push for perseverance, be it for surviving today’s challenges or thriving in tomorrow’s unknowns.

Perspective is everything, isn’t it?

Jesus often taught about the need for an other-worldly perspective. That is, He modeled the importance of a heavenly perspective for our daily bread in this world and our days without end in eternity (see Matthew 6:33 and Revelation 21:5-8). He preached about the vital and visceral need for a vibrant carpe diem faith that doesn’t just seize today but sacrifices a life everyday (see Romans 12:1-2 and Galatians 2:20-21). Jesus didn’t just preach about a glass half-empty or half-full mindset. He modeled a total life transformation from the inside-out (see Romans 12:1-2).

In contrast, Jonah rejected God’s call and ran as hard as he could from God. Yet even he couldn’t outrun mercy’s strength and grace’s provision God gave him and the Ninevites. God’s message of love prevailed, despite Jonah’s judgment and the Ninevites’ nonchalance about sin. God loved the people of Nineveh so much He opened their eyes and hearts to His lavish love poured out for them in His message of repentance and redemption. And in the doing, God used Jonah who wanted to be anywhere but Nineveh or doing anything but telling the Ninevites about God’s love.

There’s nothing or no one God can’t use to deliver a message of hope to our neighbors and nations, friends and family, coworkers and churches. Think about it – He used water, a wandering prophet, and a whale to bring His message to Nineveh. And He used a donkey (story of Balaam), a dreamer (Joseph), a desert dweller (Moses), a deceiver (Jacob), and twelve disciples (including Judas Iscariot) to declare His message of deliverance to people in dire need of hope. God seems to delight in using implausible men and illogical methods for reaching down with His mighty love to snatch someone up from a deep pit (see Psalm 40:2). That truth gives this soil scientist such hope both as one delivered and as one sent to carry the message to those in need of deliverance!

And those truths remind me I’m walking-around every day evidence that God can (and does) use even the most-unlikely of us as vessels to carry His Living Water love to those lost without peace or hope (see 2 Corinthians 4:7 and John 7:38).

Perspective is everything, isn’t it?

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 ESV But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

Stay tuned for part 2 on a change in perspective. If you want to be sure and see part 2, please sign up to follow the blog with your email address. I’d be honored if you’d like and share this post with others needing a new perspective of deliverance, love, hope, and peace for their lives today. Jesus does make all things new!

written by and copyrighted to Beth Madison, Ph.D., 2025.