Not Willing (or Saving a Boatload of People)

The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Jonah 1:16 NLT

Somehow, I have overlooked the significance of this one verse every time I've read this story of Jonah. 

Most of us know about the story of Jonah. Have you ever wondered why a prophet of God could be so ticked off about being asked to go somewhere and proclaim God's message? How a prophet could be angry with God about the thought of repentance and salvation for an entire city? After all, isn't that his life's work? But Jonah was not willing.

However, before we become so quick to judge, think of the political blitzkrieg around us today. Let us think of the self-proclaimed cognoscenti we would most like to see silenced if we could make that happen. What would happen if God asked us to go witness to them? Would we be willing or would we wish them a special place in hell as we head in the opposite direction? 

And let's also witness the extraordinary love of God in action! We know He especially prepared a large fish to accommodate and assist Jonah onto the road of repentance in his rebellion against God. And in the process of creating the storm, caused a boatload of sailors to first fear Him and then to turn from their gods, and offer a sacrifice to our God while vowing to serve only Him... (even though at first they were not willing to throw Jonah overboard).

There was a lot of Not Willing going on, but the most important one is that God is not willing that ANY should perish, according to 2nd Peter 3:9, but that all should come to repentance. Even a boatload of sailors who were initially helping the rebellious prophet to escape.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You that You cause all things to work together for good for those who love You and are called according to Your purpose for our lives. Give us the wisdom, power, and strength to see and to do what You have ordained for us to accomplish. Give us willing hearts. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Special Transport

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.
Jonah 1:17a

We all have heard at least something about Jonah and the whale. I don't know whether or not it was specifically a whale - Scripture tells us it was a large fish and God had prepared it. It appears to be yet another case of "for such a time as this..."

Jonah was running from God and God's divine will for Ninevah and for Jonah himself. God had the plan but Jonah didn't want to. It didn't fit with what Jonah thought God should do in his life. So Jonah bought his own ticket and headed in the opposite direction.

How many times have we done the same thing? Do we honestly think we'll get God to come around to our way of thinking by foisting our own rebellious will on Him?!?

I heard Pastor Alan Neel make this statement a few years back. "In the book of Jonah, we read one of the best stories about one of the greatest revivals in the annals of history... because of one man's obedience (finally)."

Doesn't that make you wonder what could happen because of our obedience - or what is NOT happening because of our lack of obedience?

We can do this easy or we can do this hard. God has the plan. Don't make Him arrange special transport to get you to His destination.

Prayer:

Father,
           Forgive us for our rebellion and pride in thinking that we know what's best for us. Help us just to trust You, no matter what. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

No Shortcuts - by request

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.

Jonah 1:1-3 NIV

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

Jonah 3:1-2 NIV

Have you ever wondered why – when you’re serving the Lord – that you seem to get so far and then hit a wall and no matter what you do, you can’t seem to get past it? I’ve been asking God about that now for a while… I don’t think I was listening well. 

In the first verse of this prophet’s book, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. We all know that part of the story – Jonah ran. God caused a storm and prepared the fish to swallow Jonah, where he spent three days. In Jonah’s story, I guess I never paid much attention to the details before…somehow, I always thought the fish was just Jonah’s personal conveyance to Nineveh to make sure he got there. Go straight to Nineveh. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. However, the fish did not spew Jonah on the shore of Nineveh. Following Jonah’s exit from the Fish Express (after he repented for his disobedience), the Lord told him a second time – Go to Nineveh… Jonah still had to walk there.

I’m sure you’ve probably never done anything like this… Well, I have to admit if I don’t like something or the thought of doing something, I’m pretty much not gonna do it…or I’m gonna find a way to circumvent or shortcut it. Sometimes, I’m even guilty of just doing it “good enough for government work.” This great Truth has nailed me right between the eyes. I had to bring it to the Light. Confess it. Own it and then prayerfully beg for God’s strength and fortitude to make it happen. Well, I’m admitting it because Scripture tells me to confess my faults that I might be healed. And I want that. I need that.

Several years ago, God told me to scale down, simplify, get organized. I spent several weeks doing exactly that. I worked hard and I worked long. And I got down to the last closet and corner of one room, and I thought, I’ve done a lot. It’s SO much better than it was. That’s good enough. And I stopped. I did not complete what God instructed me to do. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve repeated that EXACTLY. Go through ALMOST everything – scale down, simplify, get organized… down to that last little bit and then I’m tired and I quit…and it’s like a fungus…it spreads all over again.

I realize now there are NO shortcuts with God when it comes to obedience. He didn’t ask me if I’d like to do it, He just said, Do it. And since He is the Alpha AND Omega, He doesn’t go for half-measures. And the Truth is, there were no shortcuts to the Cross that paid for my sin…

Prayer:

Father,

          Forgive my spirit of rebellion and disobedience. Forgive me for the time lost when I could have been accomplishing what You planned for me to do according to Your Word. Help me, Father, to walk in absolute obedience to Your Word and Your perfect will for my life. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen