There are so many lessons for us from Jonah and before we point fingers at him for how he behaved, the scriptures are lessons for us to look at our lives as well.
The first matter for me was that NOW the word of the Lord came unto Jonah
Hmm…is the word of the Lord still coming unto me? When was the last time I received a customised instruction from God that has my name on it? Hope my heart hasn’t been filled with activities so much so that I am not able discern the word when it comes?
I also saw that until a man has the word from the Lord he doesn’t have direction in life. It is the word of the Lord that gives a man direction in life. Why am I giving myself direction when yet I don’t have the word of the Lord? Why not stay until I have a word to run?
A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?”… Isaiah 40:6a
Why is it that I am crying out, when I haven’t been giving the word to cry out?
Why has it been difficult for my generation to seat until there is a word from the Lord? How have we become the governors of our lives?
That is why what we call convictions now are feather weight…they cannot stand the test of pressure!
Lord will you help us to truly seat until you speak! Train us to listen to hear your word to us. Teach us patience.
And then I also saw that the word of the Lord carries with it specific instructions to run with. The word of the Lord is not only to be rejoiced(which is okay) at but to carry it out as directed not as chosen.
It was clear to Jonah Arise, go to Nineveh
His instruction had an address. Have I been attentive to details of the instructions I have received from the Lord?
Then have I been obedient to it. All the instructions that I can say clearly that the Lord will have me do this, what have I done with those instructions? Have I rationalised and tried to justify my disobedience?
Nineveh the instruction said but he faced Tarshish. Nineveh is north east; Tarshish is west.
Then we saw God’s mercy…
The great wind was an act of mercy for Jonah for his head to be correct. Lord stop me on my tracks! Any journey I have taken that is a journey of disobedience stop me on my tracks. Let your mercy redirect me to perfect plan for my life.
When Jonahs are in disobedience, the lives of men are at stake. When I am not properly aligned, I am not the only one that will be disaligned, many lives will also suffer from disobedience.
How many lives would have gotten it right, if you got it right? Do you know how many lives your prayers could have carried, if only you were really praying? Do you know how many lives could have been preserved because you obeyed?
This up and down movement in our walk with God, can we really get the statistics of people that have suffered for it. Help me to be a consistent shepherd of the lives that you have put in my care.
How many sheep has scattered because the shepherd was struck albeit by disobedience?
You also don’t want to have a Jonah in your boat. A man fleeing from obeying God’s instruction. A man fleeing from discipline and alignment.
Jonahs will make you lose your resources. The only thing you can do to a Jonah is to throw them overboard into the sea.
Dont be in a relationship with a Jonah. If He or she can’t obey God then what do you have left?
In the Jonah part of this story, all I can see for me is that the Lord is always coming after me. I don’t know about you but I have experienced the mercy of God and I am resting in Him that he will not leave me to my foolishness. He will come for me and will carry me.
If there is anyone here that will like to thank the Lord because he will not leave you to yourself…
If there is anyone here that will like to tell the Lord, carry me…realign me…keep me at the centre of your will…
Some of us here, it has been a while that you had a sweet fellowship with God…it has been a while that you heard the Holy Spirit speak to you or give you an instruction…can you tell Him My heart is yours, is yours, is yours forever
Are you here and you are very certain that you are in disobedience to the will of God that you know…will you like to make amends?
O for the heart of the people of Nineveh!
They heard and they repented immediately! Kai…why is our heart so hard that it doesn’t break when we do wrong and we are confronted with the truth?
Your altar is calling you!
©Omoniyi T. Mayowa
topeomoniyi@gmail.com
God bless you Sir… Thank you for this write-up