Running From God's Will For Your Life
***Nineveh, home of the Assyrians, were known for various things:
1) plots against God~Nahum 1:9
2) exploiting the helpless people and cruelty in war~Nahum 2:12-13
3) witchcraft, idolatry and prostitution~Nahum 3:4
God wanted Jonah to go to this very place and deliver a message to this very wicked and evil people.
3But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the LORD. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from the LORD.
***Notice that Jonah went in the opposite direction of where God had instructed him to go. He wrongly assumed he could outrun and hide from God, therefore getting out of the specific job (or direction) that God had given him. As we will see, we can't outrun God's will for our lives. We can't hide from God. Sometimes we run in stubborness or fear. There may be other reasons. The point is that we need to do whatever it is that God tells us to do.
4But as the ship was sailing along, suddenly the LORD flung a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to send them to the bottom. 5Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. And all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. . 6So the captain went down after him. "How can you sleep at a time like this?" he shouted. "Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will have mercy on us and spare our lives."
***By running from God's will for us, we only bring more problems on ourselves. We can't worry about the outcome when God sends us. Even if we know ahead that we could be facing opposition we still need to do what He leads us to do; don't worry about man's reaction. We can clearly see that Jonah's disobedience to God endangered all those aboard the same ship (group, church, ministry, etc).
***God intervened here to show Jonah that He was very much there and still very much in charge. Sometimes God will disrupt our agenda to show us that we aren't following His agenda...the right agenda. Wether it be doing a specific job, getting rid of things in our lives that shouldn't be there, ending relationships, etc.
9And Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." 10Then he told them that he was running away from the LORD. The sailors were terrified when they heard this. "Oh, why did you do it?" they groaned. 11And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, "What should we do to you to stop this storm?" 12"Throw me into the sea," Jonah said, "and it will become calm again. For I know that this terrible storm is all my fault."
***Before we can return to God, we first must stop running from Him. The following is a quote from the New Living Translation Application Study Bible, "If you want more of God's love and power, you must be willing to carry out the responsibilites he gives you. You cannot say that you truly believe in God if you don't do what He says. See John 2:3-6)"
13Instead, the sailors tried even harder to row the boat ashore. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn't make it. 14Then they cried out to the LORD, Jonah's God. "O LORD," they pleaded, "don't make us die for this man's sin. And don't hold us responsible for his death, because it isn't our fault. O LORD, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons."
***God not only reveals to Jonah that there is no outrunning or hiding from Him, He also uses this as an opportunity to make Himself known to these idolators. Jonah did not want to share God's warning and message of mercy and grace with the people of Nineveh. God wants ALL of us to show concern for all people, the saved and unsaved. This is part of the Christian's responsibility. Let us be careful of assuming that someone doesn't care about someone else, simply because of the way in which God may use them. The techniques in which He uses for one may be different in someone else that He uses. And many times God will use more than one person to help others in their walk. He knows very well what He is doing. It is our responsibility to obey His voice when He tells us to do something.
15Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16The sailors were awestruck by the LORD's great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
***Here, the man of God was running from Him in disobedience. Now, after dealing with chaos resulting from his disobedience, Jonah is finally starting to submit by having the men throw him overboard to spare them. The unsaved are not only sacrificing to Him, they are making a commitment to serve Him. Sometimes God has to get firm using a person(s) or situation(s) to get our attention when our will is clouding our vision of His will, or we are simply running from His will. He will sometimes use our mistakes to lead others to Him, or to help other Christians who may be struggling or hurting.
17Now the LORD had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
***Jonah ran from God and his assignment in disobedience. He ended up with a mess on his hands that affected those around him because of his disobedience and failure to do what God said. We may not "want" to do it, but we will be held responsible when we don't. Just like we sometimes have to admonish our children (firm instruction with love); God will do the same with His children (believers young and old) when we are disobedient.
Jonahs Prayer
1Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the world of the dead,and LORD, you heard me! 3You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. 4Then I said, `O LORD, you have driven me from your presence. How will I ever again see your holy Temple?'
5"I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed in around me, and seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of the dead. But you, O LORD my God, have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death!
7"When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. 9But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone."
10Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit up Jonah on the beach, and it did.
***Running from or ignoring God's perfect will for our lives, ultimately brings us trouble that could've been avoided had we simply obeyed in the first place.
Like Jonah crying out to God in this prayer, we often wait until we are desperate for Him. How often we take Him for granted! Something to note here, is that at least Jonah is giving thanksgiving throughout his cry. He is acknowledging that God hears him and will deliver him. He likened the belly of the whale to "the world of the dead". He was seeing himself as though he had been buried alive. Our disobedience can separate us from God, removing us from His presence. Fortunately, we have a merciful and loving God who will hear us even in hour darkest hours; when we call on Him with an earnest prayer.
Notice in Jonah's cry, he mentions those who worship false gods. What is a false god you may ask? A false god is a worthless idol. Any thing or person that becomes the object of our devotion in place of God. It can be a material thing, a person, a relationship, a bad habit, etc. We have to make sure that nothing takes God's rightful place in our lives.
A daily relationship with the Father produces a solid and foundational relationship with Him. It's a commitment and one that we should take very seriously. He is our source for everything. Look to Him during the good times, as well as the bad times. Give Him consistency and your devotion and you will feel more comfort and strength in your spiritual life.
We seen that God stopped Jonah to get him to do what He had called him to do. God will stop some, but we should note that God may not stop us if we run, like He did Jonah.
Let's say it this way...if you know you've been called to do something, and you don't do it when God does call you, God very well may give your ministry to someone else. One who is ready and willing to do it. Don't lose heart if you think you've made too many mistakes to serve God. Some He will call again later to carry out His work, so you may have another chance. Ask Him to guide you on where and what you should be doing and then follow up with studying and praying, learning all you can from what He's showing you. Experience (trials, etc.) is a big part of that. Look at it as though you have to take Spritual Growth and Mission Training 101.
I will close this with a quote from the NLT Application Study Bible: "Jonah was to preach only what God told him--a message of doom to one of the most powerful cities in the world. This was not the most desireable assignment, but those who bring God's word to others should not let social pressures or fear of people dictate their words. They are called to preach God's message and his truth, no matter how unpopular it is."
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