A Big Fish

Love God, and he will dwell with you. Obey God, and he will reveal to you the truth of his deepest teachings.  Frederick W. Robertson

One of my favorite Bible stories is Jonah and the whale.  I have come to think that is because sometimes in my life I have acted exactly like Jonah.  Too many times we become afraid about what God calls us to do and we run the other way.  We start thinking God doesn’t know what he is doing so we tell Him no by running. 

If you read the story we see that Jonah decided to take a trip.  This trip reminds me of Gilligan’s Island.  Remember the song that always played at the beginning. 

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip
That started from this tropic port
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a three hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew
The minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost. 

By George Wyle & Sherwood Schwartz

The story goes that God asked Jonah to go to the great city of Nineveh and cry out against the people there because of their wickedness against God.  Jonah had another plan that didn’t agree with God’s.  He decided to run and catch a boat to get away from God.  So Jonah hops on the boat and they set sail.  God decides to change Jonah’s mind about his mission.

So God blows in a storm that tosses the boat around and the passengers fear for their lives.  They decide that this is all happening because of someone on the boat. They determine, after talking to Jonah, that it is his fault so they toss him overboard. 

As soon as Jonah is tossed overboard a big fish swallows him up.  This is about the time I would be rethinking my mission in life.  I’ve never been in the belly of a fish but I can only imagine it can’t be good.  Fish eat other fish and when they sit in the stomach of a whale the smell alone would make me book my trip to Nineveh. 

How many times do we do the exact same thing when God points us in the direction He wants us to go?  We procrastinate and do something else instead of what God wants us to do.  One thing I have learned over the years is that eventually if God decides He wants us to do something, often He will back us into a corner so that the only way out is the direction He wants us to go.  We make it harder than it needs to be.  

If God is calling you to do something, all the running, hiding and procrastinating is not going to do you a bit of good.  God’s plan is meant for your good and others.  How many lives would be saved for eternity if we did what God wants us to?  It is all about eternal life.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I fall into the trap of thinking that I know what is best for me and I often run the other way.  You have a plan for each of us.  If we run we will miss out on the blessing and someone else may miss out on knowing God.  Please give me the courage to step out in faith and follow You.  With your strength and power I can do anything.

    

Scripture: Jonah’s Disobedience

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”  But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.  Jonah 1:1-3