Learn From Jonah

Jonah spent a lot of time trying to get away from God’s presence. It wasn’t that he didn’t love God… he just didn’t want to do what God told him to.

But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from being in the presence of the Lord [as His prophet] (Jonah 1:3, AMP)

So he paid the appointed fare and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish from in the presence of the Lord [as His servant and minister]. (Jonah 1:3a, AMP)

Did you notice that Jonah is trying to stop being a prophet, a servant and a minister? Why he even told his shipmates this. (Verse 10)

If we are not obeying God, we are actually trying to distance ourselves from his presence and his goal for us.

Never mind. The Lord will get our attention one way or another… maybe not with a great fish, but surely with a storm of some kind.

But the Lord sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a violent tempest on the sea so that the ship was about to be broken. (Jonah 1:4, AMP)

Prayer – Lord, give us the strength to obey you today—yes, even today. Amen