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I went to see my Grandson Jonah this weekend for his Birthday – he turned the great age of 8.   So this prompted me to write about Jonah – well the Jonah of the Bible…    My last blog was about God’s Discipline and with this story you can see what could happen if God were to call you for an act of Obedience.
As you know the story of Jonah, God instructed him to go to Nineveh.
2.   “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.”  3.  But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
How many times do we run away from God when he has instructed us to do something?   Well as you know it did not do Jonah any good – when he tried to hide and run away, he ended up in some Big Fish.    But through Prayer – he was given a second chance to be Obedient.   We are also given second chances to be faithful to the calling of God.
My study Bible talks about the Reasoning behind this encounter with Jonah and God…    “Jonah’s Hate, God’s Love.”  “Why did Jonah disobey God?  Because he despised the Ninevites.  Why did God send Jonah to Nineveh?  Because he loved the Ninevites.  Reaching beyond racial, cultural, gender and ethnic barriers to demonstrate the power of Biblical unity is more than a nice idea.  It is God’s will and command.  To miss this fact is to miss the message of Jonah’s story.”
WOW  –  do you see this being a problem in today’s world…. I do – and I believe I am as guilty as Jonah was..
I was talking with Jim H. last week and he brought up the topic of being of one mind with God…    I struggle with this at times – especially when it comes to the Obedience in the realm of what Jonah had to conquer.
One of my hardest but most rewarding acts of Obedience was to pray for my worst enemy – that he might know the Love of Jesus and be in Heaven.   I have to tell you this was a major change in my relationship with Christ and it opened up doors that I had closed because of my Hardened Heart.   I still have some very deep areas of Obedience that I need to overcome to be where Christ would have me be and it is an everyday work to accomplish His Will.   But the more I do it – the easier it comes to have one Mind with God…
Do you have any of those Areas as Jonah did that you are not being Obedient to what God is calling you to do..    Please look at those areas – because you are given second chances. If you do not do His will be careful the next time you go fishing – “There might be a Big Fish that has your number to help you become Obedient”