"The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up and go to the great city of Ninevah. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.' 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 1:1-3 NLT

On the one hand, there are times when we want something so desparately that we exert great energy constructing a 12-step plan to obtain it without taking the time to consult the Lord. Other times we have a clear direction and we drag our feet. We try to ignore it, avoid it, or delay responding. There are many reasons to procrastinate: fear, uncertainty, lack of interest, or just willful disobedience. None of them will bring us blessing.

Emotions cloud the issue so easily: am I being asked to wait, or am I being asked to act? When my issues are talking, I convince myself that God is telling me to wait. But God doesn't let us run away from his plans for too long before he sends a big storm to get our attention.

There are other times when I try to manipulate life by contriving all sorts of plans without praying for God's direction. These are the times that I'm supposed to be waiting for God's will to be revealed. Why do we get it so wrong? We act when we should wait, and wait when we should act!

If you are unsure about God's plan in a specific situation, set aside time daily to pray for direction. In the quiet of your soul, God will direct you. If you ask an honest question, expect an honest answer.

And with the answer comes a choice: will we buy a ticket to Tarshish or will we go where we are told?

"The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18 NIV

I think there's probably a twelve-step program to accomplish any goal you desire: getting rich, finding a spouse, starting a successful business, losing weight, healing from a painful past, or recovering from an addiction. And that's not all bad.

But often we get into trouble because we feel an overwhelming need to control and direct our lives in order to bring about the fulfillment of our heart's desires. The obvious flaw with this approach is that it excludes God from the picture.

Do we really believe that the plans we've made for our lives are better than the plans God has for us? What if his plans are so amazing that our minds can't even fathom them--and we miss out because we didn't believe God would be gracious to us? One poor decision can have far reaching consequences.

When we genuinely believe that God desires to bless us, it changes everything. When we trust him with every aspect of our lives, it gives us the strength and patience to wait to see how God is going to work out the details. It empowers us to live obediently and faithfully, even as the years stretch out and the difficult times come.

Sometimes it's the waiting itself that is the greatest struggle. But don't lose heart: God longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion! And if you wait for his plans to be worked out, you will know great blessing. Don't try to take control: pray, be obedient, and wait.

"O God, I beg two favors from you: let me have them before I die. First, help me to never tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs." Proverbs 30:7-8 NLT

Confession: Sometimes I wish to be filthy rich. Imagine not having to worry if you can afford a few pleasures and luxeries from time to time. I'm sure I'm not the only one who falls into this fantasy. It's easy enough to do when we look around at others who seem to be sailing through life on a sea of money while we're scraping pennies together to cover basic expenses.

But the author of this proverb reminds us that there is more to life than wealth. His first request is to be a man of integrity. A far more worthy desire than money! The second favor he asks is to have "just enough to satisfy my needs." He explains, "For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'"

Financial security strips us of something vital: the need to depend on the Lord to provide our daily bread. When we are self-sufficient, we forget that God is the source of all things. What we have is a gift from him, even if it is earned by the labor of our hands. Sometimes God blesses us with money, other times he blesses us with the opportunity to trust him.

Proverbs 28:6 tells us, "Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich." Integrity and character will be honored by the Lord. There is so much more to life than money. So let your prayer be as mine: "Give me just enough to satisfy my needs."