Porter's Portion
“Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them....Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.” Jonah 1:10, 16 NKJV http://bible.com/114/jon.1.10,16.nkjv The initial fear of the mariners merely relates the consequences of Jonah's disregard for the presence of his God, without acknowledging the consequences of their own seclusion. But after enjoying the privilege of their forced relationship with the Lord, it suddenly dawned on them that God is not just the God of the Hebrews, but the God of all flesh. Then, they offered sacrifice to the LORD and apparently make a commitment to keep sacred the presence of the Lord. There is no sincere visit to the presence of the Lord without a definite encounter with the Porter of the soul. The true mark of a thorough access to the Lord's presence is the desire to r...