jonah

so thankful emily o. told me to read the book of jonah.  

the short version is basically that God tells Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach His word to the people there who are "in a bad way."  Jonah gets up and goes the other direction.  He gets on a ship headed to Tarshish.  He is literally trying to run away from God.  So God sends a huge storm over the sea.  The other passengers on the ship realize that God sent this storm because of Jonah's disobedience.  So Jonah gets thrown off the ship.  God sends a huge fish to swallow up Jonah.  And it's there, in the stomach of the whale, that Jonah decides to pray and to recognize the fact that God is the only one who can rescue him from this mess he has gotten himself into. 

And God rescues him.  And then Jonah goes to Ninevah and preaches God's word. [there's some more good stuff at the end but i'll stop there.]

So often I hear God speak and ask something of me and I run in the other direction, away from the His will.  I either feel afraid... or that He is asking too much of me... or I just plain don't want to... and so I try to run away... i try to avoid Him.  Then God allows things in my life like huge storms or getting eaten by a huge fish [just figuratively, of course].  God allows me to be in a place where I recognize my need for him to rescue me from the mess I've made.  And he does.  And then I do His will.

I want to learn not to go about it the long way every single time.  

I think this starts with understanding who God is... God is love [1 john 4:8].  It's not just that he is loving... he IS love.  He cannot act outside of that love because it's part of his character.  it's who he is.  So whatever God asks of me He is asking out of that love.  He is asking because he loves.  if i truly believe that then i would trust, right?  somehow it isn't always that easy.  but I'm getting there.  

Even as i ask God to help me to trust His love and His will and to just be obedient to wherever and whatever he calls me I still feel nervous.  I'm still scared of what he might ask of me... what he might have me give up.  but I am letting go a little more daily and learning to surrender and to trust.  being convinced that whatever He is asking of me is the best thing for me.

The good news is that God still uses Jonah.  He can still use me... even when i take the scenic route to get there.