Being in God's will is better.. it sure beats wandering outside of His will.
He works in us...in people to want to ..and then this becomes a delight of life for each of us!
We all have needs, longings, and perhaps for many.. dreams even. And these are often related to real inner needs that God intends to meet as we look to Him. So look to God for all that you need. Get honest with Him when you feel fears or dislike a direction, or other things, or even people. Jonah didn't like those we was called to go minister to.
God already understands it all before He calls us and He can help you. He meets real needs right on time. He loves us and our enemies -- wants us to pray for and show love to our enemies. He delights to meet our every need.
With such perfect timing! God will give you exactly what you need and exactly when you need it. He's never late. Be all in for Christ, no secrets or secret sins. When He calls you.. run to ..fast as you can.. not away from Him.
"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
Remember when Jonah didn't really wanna go do the will of God and preach to his enemies? Ever been there, ever felt like running the other way? Hey, don't run from the Lord, run to Him.. even on those days when you're tempted, down, confused, accused, or are under attack. Yes, even when you don't at all feel like it. If you've blown it in sin, turn, trust, get back up and run to Jesus not in the other direction.
1. Did Jonah die while he was in the belly of the fish (Jonah 2)? Could Jonah have survived three days in the belly of the great fish?
2. Was Jonah truly swallowed by a whale? How could Jonah possibly survive being swallowed by a large fish?
3. Who was Jonah in the Bible? How is understanding the life of Jonah valuable to our spiritual growth?
4. Why did Jonah try to go to Tarshish instead of Nineveh? Could Jonah have survived three days in the belly of the great fish?
5. Need a summary of the Book of Jonah? Who actually wrote Jonah? What is the Book of Jonah all about?
6. Why was Jonah angry that the Ninevites repented (Jonah 4:1-2)? Why didn’t Jonah want the people of Nineveh to repent?
7. What is the sign of Jonah? What did Jesus mean when He said the only sign He would give would be the sign of Jonah?
8. What does Jonah 4:11 mean by people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?
9. Got some more questions about Jonah? What are the most commonly asked questions about the Book of Jonah?
10. What is the significance of the city of Nineveh in the Bible?
"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.
1. What is the difference between God’s sovereign will and God’s revealed will? What is the difference between God’s sovereign will and God’s revealed will?
2. How can I know God’s will for my life? What does the Bible say about knowing God’s will? Why is the will of God sometimes so difficult to discern?
3. What is the key to hearing God’s voice? Why do people want to hear from God beyond what He has said in His Word?
4. How does God’s sovereignty work together with free will? If God controls everything, do I truly even have a choice in my life?
5. How do God’s sovereignty and humanity’s free will work together in salvation? Does humanity truly have a free will choice for salvation?
6. What is ultimate reconciliation -- is that God's will for all.. regardless? Will all of humanity and all of the fallen angels ultimately be reconciled with God?
7. Is it sometimes God’s will for believers to be sick? Is sickness sometimes the will of God?
8. How can I know what God’s plan is? Why is the plan of God sometimes so difficult to discern? How can I learn to trust God’s plan?
9. Does the Bible teach mortal and venial sin? Does the Bible distinguish between mortal sins and venial sins?
10. What does it mean to pray, “Thy will be done”?
11. Did Adam and Eve know what death was when God commanded them not to eat from the tree of knowledge?Since Adam and Eve, before the fall, had no knowledge of good and evil, how could they be punished for eating the fruit?
12. What are the curses God promised Israel for disobedience? Were the curses God promised a punishment for disobedience actually fulfilled?13. When is civil disobedience allowed for a Christian? In what instances is civil disobedience sanctioned by the Bible?
14. How can I obey God the Father by turning and trusting Christ Jesus in order to become a child of God? How can I know whether I am really a child of God
15. What does it mean that no one seeks God? What does Romans 3:11 mean when it says 'there is no one who seeks God'? Read more.. Blog)
Fish4Souls.org Photo by Anon. Long quote from Greg Laurie and Harvest Min. -- thank you!
