Friday, March 5, 2021
Running from God’s Will
“But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish” (Jonah 1:3 NLT).
When the Lord called Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh, Jonah tried to go in the opposite direction. The most ungodly people imaginable lived in Nineveh. They were known for their cruelty, their hardheartedness, and the way they treated their enemies.
Also, the Ninevites were the avowed enemies of Israel, and Jonah was a patriotic Jewish man. He didn’t want to go to his enemies and bring a message of hope to them. Or, maybe he didn’t want to go to Nineveh because he was afraid he would be rejected.
Whatever the reason, Jonah tried to go in the opposite direction. He was running from God’s will for his life.
I wonder if you’ve felt called by the Lord to do something. Maybe the Lord has prompted you to start a Bible study on your school campus. Maybe the Lord has been leading you to share the gospel with a neighbor. Maybe the Lord has been directing you to commit your life to serve Him in the place that you’re in right now.
And maybe you’re saying, “I don’t want to do it. That’s not part of my career plan.”
But here’s what you need to know. God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called. God isn’t looking for qualified people. Rather, He’s looking for people who will simply say, “Here I am. Send me.”
And really, what God is looking for more than anything else is availability—not so much ability but availability. He’s looking for someone who will say, “Lord, I want to be the person You’ve called me to be.”
God will give you the strength to do what He calls you to do, when He calls you to do it—not before and never after. He will give you what you need when you need it.
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
