October 23, 2023
Topic: JONAH THE SELECTIVE PROPHET OF GOD
Text: Jonah1: 1-3
Memory Verse: Jeremiah 23:24 – Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him? Says the Lord; Do I not fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord.
A song came to mind as I read this bible verse – He’s got the whole world in his hands. God does have the whole world in his hands, he sees all, and he knows all things happening all over the world. The earth we live in is just a part of the whole creation of God, the sun, moon and stars are all under his purview including the other planets and nothing happens in all these creations without his knowledge.
It then beats my reasoning as to what Jonah was thinking when he decided to board a ship going to Tarshish rather than head to Nineveh where he was instructed to go. As a prophet of God, Jonah should know the elementary bible lesson that was taught about the omnipresence of God. Yet, he rejected Gods instructions and faced the wrong direction.
The disobedience to God’s instruction was pure foolishness. Unfortunately, not everyone who disobeys God gets a second chance as Jonah did. It is in our interest to stay in his will and obey his instructions for our life. Moses lost the opportunity of making it to the Promised Land because of disobedience; Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt because she looked back after being warned not to.
Jonah felt that God was making a mistake by asking him to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, so by impulse decided to flee from the presence of God. He took a step in the wrong direction, got busy doing what God did not send him to do.
The lesson for today is that God is the one in control of our lives. He formed you and called you, he leads your life’s journey and experiences according to his pleasure. God has a plan for us, let us obey his leading and become vessels in his hands.
Where has God directed you to go, how has he led you to act or respond to the situation you find yourself in? Obedience is the only option you have without which your life will not be pleasing to him. Because he sees everything, and he is everywhere, there is no hiding place for you. Whatever our excuses today, we need to lay it at his feet. Whatever fears are making us run from his leading, we need to bring them before him now. We are saved to serve; may our service be acceptable to God in Jesus’ name.
Prayer: The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth his handy works. We join creation today to declare your awesome power oh Lord. Your presence is everywhere and we cannot hide from you. We surrender all our fears, worries and struggles to you today and ask that you lead us in obedience to your instructions in Jesus’ name, Amen.