THE ISLAND WAS lovely, and the more time Jonas spent exploring and living on it, the more it became like home to him. He began to appreciate its beauty in a personal way. As he spent the morning walking and exploring more of the island, he could imagine the Lord and Jesus laughing and dancing as they spoke the world into existence.
Jonas found a place to sit and rest. He carefully considered everything that he had experienced in the past few days. Tears welled in his eyes as he thought about his parents. He missed them desperately, but was genuinely grateful for the deeper intimacy he had with God the Father. His encounter with God had increased his faith. Trust replaced doubt and fear. Love and hope replaced despair and loneliness.
In his mind, Jonas had always believed God existed, but how many boys his age had experienced what he had? It was such an overwhelming joy. He started singing songs of thanksgiving and praise, and then he opened his Bible and searched through the scriptures as he prayed.
Realizing darkness was settling in, Jonas marveled at how easy it was to spend time with the Father. Usually he became antsy sitting in a church service, but here he had spent hours talking with the Lord, and the time had passed so quickly.
He made himself a comfortable bed of foliage and prepared for another night’s sleep on this seemingly deserted island. Darkness slowly covered him like a blanket, and as thoughts of the morrow and a new adventure filled his mind, Jonas prayed for the Father’s angels to give him protection and heavenly dreams.
Jonas’ slumber was filled with visions from God. As he slept, wisdom and revelation filled his young mind. The Holy Spirit was revealing the truth and understanding that would enable Jonas to take bold steps in the days ahead. He was being equipped with knowledge that was necessary to his survival on the island.
Jonas awakened early in the morning and welcomed the sight of the heavenly light in front of him. He knew this was his meal for the day, and he didn’t waste time walking over to get a handful of the manna.
“Thank You, Father, for Your provision,” Jonas offered before eating.
“Jonas.”
“Yes, Father,” Jonas replied quickly to the voice.
“I want you to walk to the southwestern part of the island. There is an area there I want you to discover and explore.”
“Yes, Lord. I’ll leave now.”
Keeping a steady pace, Jonas began traveling to a new area of the island. He had no idea how large the island really was, but he knew he hadn’t been close to this area at all. The terrain was definitely different than the northern section. Here there were more rocks and rock formations that produced hills and slopes. Jonas had no idea where he was or where he was going, but he trusted his Father. He continued walking steadily, stopping only for a brief drink of water here and there, until he heard God speak.
“Son, up ahead over the next hill is a rocky and cavernous area. Keep walking straight ahead until I tell you to stop.”
“Yes, Lord.”
When Jonas reached the hill beyond, he was surprised to find the landscape was truly beautiful. He was looking for the rocks and caverns, but instead he found everything was softer and more colorful. Even the grass had a different texture under his feet.
He felt refreshed by the new surroundings, and couldn’t help but take time to rest in this new location. He dropped to the ground and ran his hands over the thick, plush grass. There was even a different fragrance to the air in this location.
“Stand, Jonas,” echoed the voice of the Father. “I need you to continue on. Walk straight ahead and follow the curve of the land to the right.”
Jonas obeyed, and as he turned to the right he was taken by surprise. There in front of him was a large opening.
“Oh, cool!” Jonas’ curiosity was aroused as he headed for the opening. He slowly entered the cave and found it was rather pleasant inside. He expected it to be dark and damp, but there was enough light to examine his surroundings, and the air was actually comfortable. He traveled deeper inside to see if there were any holes leading to new rooms of the cave.
“Jonas, I want you to listen to Me. There are some things you need to know.”
“Yes, Father.”
“I want you to remember how you got here and approximately how much time it has taken to arrive at this cave. At some time in the future you will stay in this cave temporarily.”
Jonas paused in his explorations and thought about that. “Wow. Like, I get to make a house in here?” He moved back to the entrance and looked around him. “Lord, I’m almost certain I can remember how to get here.”
“Good! Now, I’m going to ask you to exercise your faith even further. First I want to show you another promise from My Word. Open your Bible to the Book of Romans, chapter four, verse seventeen.”
When Jonas had his Bible ready, God began quoting as Jonas read to himself, “(As it is written, ‘I have made you a father of many nations’) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”
“Um, I’m sorry, Father, but I have no idea what that means.”
“Jonas, there will soon come a time that you will need to hide in this cave. The enemy will be after you, but you will speak a hedge of protection around yourself and your enemies will be blinded.”
Talk of the enemy scared Jonas. What would they do to him if they found him? Now was the time for more faith than he had ever had. He wasn’t sure he had enough. “A hedge?” asked Jonas as he began examining the entrance again. “Like a great big door?”
“Yes. You will be in the cave and there will be a disguise, or hedge, covering the entrance. No one will even know there is a cave here. Go, stand inside the cave, Jonas.”
Jonas walked back inside the small room and turned to stare out through the opening.
“Now, Jonas, declare a hedge of protection around yourself and your enemies be blinded.”
“Just like that? I mean, just say that out loud?”
“Yes. Just say it out loud.”
“All right. Here goes. I declare a hedge of protection around myself and my enemies be blinded.” Jonas stood there not knowing what to do next. He didn’t know if what he said had worked. He didn’t know what he was supposed to be feeling or if there was something else he needed to do.
Before he could question the Lord, he heard footsteps outside the cave entrance. A four-legged creature came into his view. It was larger than any lion he had ever seen, and so intimidating looking. Jonas suddenly felt trapped in the cave. He stood as silent and still as he possibly could. Trying not to even breathe, Jonas watched the animal sniff around the grass near the opening, but it never crossed the threshold of the entrance. It gradually moved away.
“Jonas,” the soft voice of the Father rippled across the air. “This is how faith works. The animal couldn’t see or detect the entrance of the cave. It was completely invisible to him. It will also be invisible to your enemies.”
“I get it. ‘Things which do not exist,’” repeated Jonas. “And all I had to do was say it out loud. Oh man, Father, that is so amazing. You are so amazing.”
The soft laughter of God filled the cave. “I enjoy giving good gifts to My children, Jonas.”
“That one is awesome, Father. I’m still not really confident what I will do with it, though.”
“You will need it in the days ahead. You will use this gift mainly for your own protection, but your faith you will also use for other needs.”
Looking back at the entrance Jonas let out a big sigh. God’s talk about the enemy had shaken him, but now he had confidence that whatever happened, his Father would be right there taking care of him.
“Thank You,” Jonas whispered.
“You are welcome. Now, go. Enjoy the island as a young boy should.”
Jonas left the cave, and while he enjoyed climbing the rocks and running through the fields, he remembered to concentrate on the directions he traveled and the landmarks around him.
Thoughts from his past slowly drifted into his mind. He still missed his parents and prayed often for them to find him, but his latest experience with God had really changed his perspective on life. He loved his parents with all his heart and had great respect for them, but he knew that even they wouldn’t have been able to help him survive on the island the way God had. The feelings of being alone had constantly plagued him when he first found himself on the island, but now he realized he wasn’t alone at all.
Never in a million years would Jonas have placed himself in these circumstances, and yet here he was. There was no way to predict the events of the future, and he knew he shouldn’t even try to calculate what might happen in the days ahead. He simply smiled with confidence knowing that God, his true Father, would take care of every problem he encountered.