Richard Roberts
Are you running from God’s call on your life? You may be like Jonah in the Bible. God called him to go to Nineveh and preach against the wickedness of the people there. But Jonah didn’t go. Instead, he got on a ship headed toward Tarshish, which was in a totally opposite direction.
Soon a terrible storm struck the ship, and the Bible says, The Sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah (Jonah 1:7 NIV). Jonah said, “It’s my fault! I’m in disobedience to God. If you’ll throw me over, the storm will stop.” They threw Jonah overboard. But the Lord was looking after him. The Bible says, The Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah (v. 17). God kept him alive inside the fish’s belly for three days and nights, and there he prayed and made a vow to answer God’s call. God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto the shore. Jonah brought God’s message to Nineveh, and the people repented and experienced a great deliverance.
You may be trying to avoid what you know you should be doing with your life, and you’ve run into trouble. But God has provided a way for you to obey Him. If He delivered Jonah and Nineveh, He can deliver you from whatever is hindering you from answering His call. And lives can be impacted for God because of your commitment to obedience.
Right now, I lift you up in prayer: In Jesus’ name, I pray for you to be able to make a commitment of obedience to the Lord―for you to lay aside every weight that hinders you and to take hold of the loving hand of God and walk in His plan for your life. Amen.
