The Book of Jonah: When we Stray From His perfect Will

The Book of Jonah: When we Stray From His perfect Will 

Have you ever known God was calling you to do or not do a specific task, but refused?  Were you thinking the same thing I was as I typed those last words.  Jonah.  Remember how he refused to go to Nineveh?  Did God protect him when he disobeyed God’s instructions?  Nope.  When a storm brewed aboard the ship he tried to use to escape God, his fellow sailors tossed him overboard (after he admitted the storm was directly due to God’s anger toward him).  The book of Jonah tells us that the Lord “had prepared a great fish” specifically to punish Jonah’s insubordination.  While we may not go through something so dramatic and smelly, it is clear by this example that God will allow bad things to happen when we stray from His perfect will.  Of course, God also had mercy on Jonah after he humbly spent three days in prayer repenting of his sins.  Only then did God allow the fish to vomit Jonah out alive.

I love what Jonah says in 2:8 "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. " The amplified version puts it this way, “Those who regard and follow worthless idols. Turn away from their [living source of] mercy and lovingkindness." That really perfectly sums up all of our stories.

If we are honest, we can all admit that there have been numerous times in our lives we purposely chose to disobey God’s voice.  I am very much including myself here.  In essence, we are making an active choice to separate ourselves from God and hinder our prayer life.  Just as God was gracious to Jonah after he repented, He will show the same kindness to us.  Yet, why put yourself in the rebellious situation in the first place?  We are always full of excuses, aren’t we?  I know I shouldn’t take this job, but I need the money.  I know I shouldn’t date him/her, but I’m lonely.  I know I shouldn’t watch this program, but it’s a good storyline.  I know I shouldn’t drink alcohol or do drugs, but I’m depressed.   I know I shouldn’t have relations outside of marriage, but God didn’t answer my important prayer.  And the list of justifications goes on and on.

Would you expect a boss to keep you on the job if you kept stealing?  Nor should you expect a holy God to turn the other way when you willfully choose to do the wrong thing.

Not only are we breaking God’s heart by our disobedient actions, but we are also choosing to walk by sight rather than faith.  We do not truly believe in Romans 8:38 or Jeremiah 29:11 when we choose to earn money in a dishonest or immoral fashion.  Serving alcohol at a bar, even when you do not drink the alcohol is still wrong.  When we accept such a job, we are stubbornly saying we do not believe God will supply all of our needs.  When we date someone completely out of line with our morals, we are saying we do not believe God will bring us the right mate in His perfect timing.  We are acting like Sarah when she stepped outside of God’s will by asking Abraham to marry Hagar.  She did not have faith enough to believe God would grant them a son through her womb (see Genesis 16).

I would like to add that God may still use us when we make poor choices.  We should still show love to people and attempt to be a Light for Him.  However, if you choose to work in an occult store or openly smoke cigarettes, do not expect your testimony to be effective.  Instead, you will mostly come across as a hypocrite and others will not take your Christianity seriously.  That does not mean you cease attempting to produce the fruits of the Spirit and become rude and unkind.  Showing love towards others is always the best choice before, during, and after our moments when walk outside God’s will.  Overall, the best scenario is to repent and start over, but do not add insulting behaviors to your list of rebellions.   

When you truly love God, you should want to do your very best to please Him.  I want so much to make my Lord happy, that when I know I am failing, it causes me to weep.  I want to please my Maker and Friend.

I will end by reminding us all (me too) to really think twice when making important decisions.  Money, pleasure, entertainment, or peer pressure should never out-weigh your love for God or His love for you.  Even if you are at a place where you feel God has let you down or you feel ignored by God that does not mean your feelings are reality.  It is often very difficult to wait patiently and allow God to do what He is planning to do in His perfect timing.  Getting ahead of God and going against His will rarely produce positive results.  The consequences usually come when we choose to follow our own will instead.   I am not speaking of unintentionally going against God’s will (which can be easy because God can be confusing), but I am speaking of blatant rebellion. 

So, when you think about going against God's will, think of Jonah.  And if you have disobeyed and suffered the consequences, also think of Jonah.  Repent, do what God asked you to do, and you very well may be vomited out of the fish created because of your rebellion. And when God sets you free from the circumstances your stubborn actions caused, praise Him for His mercy and His grace!   

This entire book of Jonah is long to post, so please read the short 4 chapter book on your own.  Here is a brief excerpt: 

(Jonah, Chapters 1-2) Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah... saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken...

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. "Why hast thou done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them...

And he said unto them, "Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you..."

 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging... Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, And said, "I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice... The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord."

And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.