Are you going in the right direction?

Surely everyone who has ever picked up a bible or attended a Sunday School has heard the story of Jonah. This Old Testament prophet had received word from the Lord to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me" (Jonah 1:2).

Jonah was a prophet of God whose duty it was to bear the Word of the Lord when He spoke. Jonah’s response, however, was to go the opposite direction. He knew he could not get away from the presence of the Lord, but he was determined to get away from his new field of duty! He set out to Joppa planning to go onward to Tarshish. He wanted to get as far away as he could from Ninevah.

We are all called to be ambassadors for Christ, and sometimes the work to which we are assigned is less than exciting. There are times when we know we will be criticized and castigated, and we are loathe to place ourselves in that position. We may be so brave as to try for a time, but when our suspicions are proven correct, we make our move. Off to a place better suited to our personal comfort.

Jonah, in refusing to do what God commanded him to do, found it easy to get away. When he arrived in Joppa he found a ship ready to set sail to Tarshish—the place he intended to go. He had the money to pay the fare, so all seemed to be going well. Surely he would be able to continue his ministry in a new location. After all, Ninevah wouldn’t be easy!

God had different plans. God had placed Jonah in Ninevah and he would be successful nowhere else. In fact, he was going nowhere else, and God would see to that!

Out on the sea, a great storm began to brew and the ship was going to sink. The other men on the ship feared for their lives and began to call on their gods. When they found Jonah, he was fast asleep below. He was so comfortable in his disobedience that he didn’t even notice the storm. It took "unbelievers" to awaken him to this fact. But he did wake up!

At his own request, Jonah was thrown overboard and the others were saved as the storm died down. Jonah was also saved, but he spent three days in the belly of a great fish. That doesn’t sound too exciting to me. After three days, however, he was vomited up on shore. By this time he had been convinced that the best choice he could ever make was to simply obey.

The things God requires of us may not always seem comfortable, but the alternative will surely be worse. It’s God’s way of convincing you to do what He asks of you.

Where does God want you?

Are you going in the right direction?