What are you running from? ~ Devotion 5/23/12

[lightsoutcalls]

Have you ever felt like God wanted you to do something specific?  You got clear direction, and knew that it was God speaking to YOU...   Let's take a look at part of a familiar story. 

Jonah 1:1-4

New Life Version (NLV)

Jonah Does Not Obey the Lord

1 The Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 "Get up and go to the large city of Nineveh, and preach against it. For their sin has come up before Me." 3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord going toward Tarshish. He went down to Joppa and found a ship which was going to Tarshish. Jonah paid money, and got on the ship to go with them, to get away from the Lord.
4 Then the Lord sent a powerful wind upon the sea, and there was such a big storm that the ship was about to break up.


   God was very specific with Jonah.  He gave Jonah clear instructions to fulfill a specific task.  I find it interesting that this translation makes it clear that Jonah even paid money and made efforts to refuse to do what God told him to do.  I'd like to walk through this story in the coming weeks and look a bit more closely at bits and pieces of the story that we may have missed on our way through Bible School or Sunday morning sermons, sitting in the back of the church fighting sleep... 

   Check out the verse in blue above.  There are consequences to our refusal to follow God's direction for our lives.   Am I saying that everything that goes wrong, every challenge in our lives is a direct result of our disobedience?  No.   But...  Stop and think back... Has God given you specific directions?  Has God prompted you to do something specific in your life?  Maybe, just maybe... 
   Something else to ponder...  Do you think Jonah was the only one that was fixin' to face desparate times due to his premeditated choice to refuse God's calling?

Stay tuned...

[longbeard11]

good stuff, i really look forward to the rest of this

[BOFF]

Thank you Wendell!!

Many a time, God has had to steer me in the right directions, sometimes with a bump on the head.


God Bless,
David B.

[Roostem33]

I think that I have been in that boat once or twice myself!! Thanks Wendell, I look forward to the coming weeks!


God bless,
Jody

[misfire]

I know the feeling. God has been trying to tell me for a LOOOOONG time to do what is right. I thought I could do it on my own, so of course I fought God and LOST!!!! So instead of kicking and screaming and having Him drag me by my hair to His will, I finally decided that it might be better to grab His hand and let Him walk me through to His destination. I am a little slow sometimes

[turkey slayer]

Thanks! 

[Eric Gregg]

The story of Jonah is a great one. A lot of things to look at:
1. Reluctant to fulfill God's calling
2. Jonah didn't think that Ninevah should be offered a chance and repentance due to them being Israel's enemy
3. Got mad because Ninevah repented

My class did a minor study on this story and it was a good one.
Thanks for sharing

[MAKEemQUIVER]

So easy to run, but we cant hide.