Now, walk with God

God said, "Go to Nineveh!" Jonah said, "No, I'm having none of it!" and so starts one of the more amazing sagas of the Bible. The Bible says, "Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord. He went down to the seacoast, to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping that by going away to the west he could escape from the Lord." (Jonah 1:3, NLT) The prophet's rebellion brought God's judgment in a storm and he told the sailors to toss him overboard. The Lord prepared a 'great fish' which swallowed him whole and he spent three nights in its belly where he concluded he would obey. The fish vomited him onto the seashore and he went off to do what the Lord asked him to do. Near the end of the short story, the self-will of the prophet shows up again in his complaint against God's will.

It's a story for every one of us. Have you ever been a Jonah? People run from God for all kinds of reasons - fear, self-will, misunderstanding - to name a few. Early in my own life, I had a real sense that God was calling me into His service. I considered a run for the hills, figuring that I could find success in some other field and then settle up with God later on down life's road. Thankfully, at prayer rail in a little church on a Sunday night, God spoke to me unmistakably. All these years later I still remember leaving that time of prayer in the Summer of 1971, where I just knew that it was 'make or break' time for me with Him. I could go my way and walk alone, or I could follow Him and trust Him with those things that made me afraid of saying, "yes" to His purposes. I am so glad that I was obedient. He has been so faithful to me!

One of the reasons Jonah resisted God's will was his unwillingness to see Nineveh, the enemy of Israel, blessed by God! The prophet took a look at the growing threat of Assyria to the north of his native country and concluded that it would be best to let God's judgment fall on that kingdom, but that was not the plan of Heaven. God wanted Jonah to preach to Nineveh and He wanted to bring about a spiritual renewal there through the efforts of that unwilling preacher. Implied in the text is this, "Jonah, you do what I tell you to do today, and I'll do what I need to do in the days ahead." Sometimes we attempt to live in the future and resist the will of God today because of what we think might happen tomorrow. That is a tragic deception. Jesus reminds us that if we want to please God, it must be today! He says, "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " (Matthew 6:33-34, The Message)

Some of us run from God's plans, too, because we feel so inadequate. I don't know if just the thought of the task of preaching repentance to Nineveh was overwhelming to Jonah, but I can imagine it was. I know that there have been moments in my life when just the thought of obeying God was too much for me, given my natural abilities. Seems that is a common response to God's commission. Remember Moses' encounter with the Lord in the desert? He, too, had been on the run for years. God knew his address and showed up in a burning bush out in the wilderness. He spoke to the errant prince of Egypt and directed him to go back to that land and lead the people out of their slavery and into the Promised Land. Moses didn't jump for joy and do a little victory dance in the desert. He began to argue with God, telling the Lord about his inability, his speech impediment, and that nobody would listen anyway. Read the 4th chapter of Exodus. His dialogue with God is almost comical. Moses could not grasp that where God is leading, He is also preparing the way and providing the resources!

Those who walk with God are always 'on the edge,' and so they never feel completely adequate! So Paul writes, "Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." (2 Corinthians 3:4-5, NIV) He tells of a time when things got so tough, he concluded that life was over. And then he writes, "We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!" (2 Corinthians 1:9, The Message) Obedience to the Lord's purposes will take us into a life where we have just one option - complete faith. Without it, we will not please Him.

So, what's facing you, friend?
Everyday, each one of us makes a choice - to obey or to 'escape from the Lord.'
We're either moving toward Him or away from Him, for life makes just standing in one place impossible. Put your hand in His and trust Him for today. He'll take care of the rest.
_____________________________

On God's holy Word I challenge you,
To give to the Lord your life anew.
My friend, make your choice; He waits for you,
For this is the moment of truth.

Now walk with God;
And He will be your dearest Friend;
Where'er you go, In everything you do.
And may your life,
Reflect His love to ev'ryone.
Now walk with God,
And He will walk with you.

Now Walk With God - Otis SkillingsCopyright: 1969 Lillenas Publishing Company