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God Focus This Morning

The title of today’s episode is: “Don’t Go The Wrong Way”

—JONAH DIDN’T WANT TO GO TO NINEVAH HE ENDED UP THERE

We can do things the easy way or the hard way. God sometimes asks us to do things that makes us uncomfortable. Fear of failure is often one of the biggest excuses. Do we go where he asks, or do we take the long road there? We will end up where he needs us. It just comes down to will we go willingly, or will we be a spoiled brat that He has to drag along.  Unless we completely turn from God. We will end up where he wants us to be, how we get there is our choice.

God asked Jonah to go to Ninevah. He didn’t want to go there, he felt they were all evil.  Maybe there was a little fear there. He had many excuses to not go.  He wanted to go the opposite direction toward Tarshish.

He put it off and then started on a journey the opposite way. He went to Joppa and got on a boat. A storm came up.  The storm was rough on the boat, and they were afraid that it was going to sink. Jonah knew it was because of his disobedience. He told them if they tossed him overboard, they would be spared. The men on the boat tossed Jonah overboard.

God had prepared a fish that opened its mouth and swallowed him.  He was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. He prayed and asked God to deliver him and he said he would go to Ninevah. After his ordeal Jonah went to Ninevah and God saved many.

Jonah took the long way around to get to where God wanted. God understood Jonah could reach a lot of people that is why he told him to go to Ninevah in the first place. How often does God ask us to do something and we end up taking the long way there but end up in our Ninevah. If the tasks could be accomplished in our own strength, we wouldn’t need God. Jonah forgot that God would go with him. How often do we forget that we don’t have to do hard things alone, God is with us.

We all want to be used by God and want to do the right thing. Often our idea of what we want to do, and God’s ideas are different. We cannot allow fear to control our every move, we have no reason to fear. God is with us. Fear, doubt and many things will cause us to run the opposite way if we are not careful. Either way we will end up in Ninevah. We can be obedient and just step out in faith and go or we can take the long way there. I want to be obedient and don’t want to take the long way there. I know there are no shortcuts in life, either. This is why it is best to follow God’s plan.  Taking the long way is full of pitfalls and stressful situations.

Jonah seemed to lack compassion for the lost people in Nineveh. Above all else we need to have a heart of compassion. We need to be soul winners. It doesn’t matter how wicked the people, God loves them, and it is not our place to judge.  We are to show them God’s love and speak the words He wishes.

When he told them that they had 40 days then God would pour out his wrath. They fasted and put on sackcloth, even the king. God changed His mind because of the people had repented and turned from evil. Jonah was not pleased that God changed His mind.

Remember Jonah, the next time God asks you do to something that takes you outside of your comfort zone. It is not easy to step out in faith. We question, did I really hear from God? Lord, do you really want me to do this or that, we will question. All the time, knowing that was exactly what he asked us to do. I don’t know if we think that by stalling, He will give us a pass. He has everything in the universe working like a well-oiled clock. Everything is in his timing. He knows what he created for us to do. We must be bold enough to step out in faith and do what he has asked of us.

After a couple of days of self-pity, Jonah saw things God’s way.  Read Chapter 4 of Jonah to see how God used a worm to make his point and give Jonah understanding. God often uses simple things to reach us.

Thanks for watching,

Until Next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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