Lose the Stubbornness – Jonah 1:3

Wake Up Call

How stubborn are you? Are you as stubborn as Jonah? When God gave Jonah a direct command to go to the city of Nineveh he “rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:3)

That’s like heading due west when you are told to head due east. Basically Jonah was saying to God; “I won’t do it!” It gets worse however. God does not take no for an answer. He brings a storm at sea so severe that Jonah’s ship is in danger.

By casting lots, his shipmates determine that Jonah is the cause of their problem. He admits that he is running from God and they say to him; “How could you do this?” (Verse 10) Jonah suggests that they throw him overboard so the sea will become calm. You might think he is being nice to put others ahead of his own welfare but that’s not his motivation. It’s stubbornness again.

Jonah knows he’ll die if thrown into the open sea and he would rather that than obey God’s command to preach to the great city of Nineveh. You see, he is afraid they will repent and God will spare them the judgment they deserve. Now that’s STUBBORN!

Most of you know how the story turns out. God is more determined – and merciful, than Jonah is stubborn. That is a great consolation to any of us who have made a deliberate U-turn away from God’s plan for our life. In the end, Jonah cried out; “That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.” (Jonah 2:9)

Go ahead and give up any stubbornness you have with God. You’ll lose in the end and there’s no point in waiting until you are in the belly of a big fish.

 

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