•Friday, August 27, 2010
"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?
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?
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