Last week we talked about discerning what direction was is the correct one. This week presupposes that we have told which way to go. Have you ever been in a situation where you knew what the "right" or "Christian" thing was to do but you didn't want to do it? This question will cause one to go into a place that we don't like to into and force us to admit what we don't like to admit. The truth is that sometimes we question God. What's worse than that is sometimes we downright don't agree with God and do not want to do what He has commanded. Jonah was one such man. Theologians (and other "really smart people") will speculate about what really swallowed Jonah or whether this story was literal or allegorical in nature. Those same people often miss the simple point of the story which is what happened to this servant of God who did not want to go where he was sent and how God dealt with him.
 
God commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh and "cry out against it" because of their evil (1:1-3). It came out later that Jonah did not want to go and warn them because he knew that God would forgive them (4:1-5). It was always interesting to me that Jonah was convinced that God have mercy. Could it be that God had shown mercy to Jonah at some time before all of this? God is known as a just and merciful God. The prophet certainly had a clear grasp of God's character, as reflected in his near-quotation of Exodus 34:6. In fact Jonah's words about God are almost identical with O.T. description of Him (Joel 2:13; also Neh. 9:17; Psalms. 103:8; 145:8). In any case, Jonah did not want the people of Nineveh to hear God's word, repent, and be saved from destruction. He knew that if he delivered God's message and the people believed, they would be spared! Jonah would have rather died! God really had to do some work with Jonah to get his mind where it needed to be (4:5ff). God always knows better than we do. God was compassionate with Jonah even in his pouting rebellion. Jonah was callous and selfish. He expressed more concern for a vine than he did the people of Nineveh.
 
If Jonah doesn't resonate with you think about the rich young ruler who encountered Jesus. He asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him what to do but the man refused and left (Matt 19:16-23; Luke 18:18-25). In this case the man wanted his own riches more than he desired the riches of life spent following Christ without his money. Whatever the reason, he knew what do but wouldn't do it.

Sometimes we are like both of these men. Maybe we'd like to do the right thing but we really want to see people suffer for their misdeeds. Maybe we are like the young rich man in that we'd like to follow the path that the Lord sends us on but we'd have to sacrifice too much of ourselves! In either case we must trust God and not lean on our understanding (Prov 3:5). His thoughts and ways are not like ours (Isaiah 55:7-9). Even when we can't see He can. This life in Christ requires us to live by faith (relying on God) and not by sight. The missing component in this whole picture is our own faith. Faith must stand in gap created by our inability to see "how" God's will is for our good. Faith was must be our substance when all we have is hope and our evidence when we cannot see (Heb 11:1). Only then will we be able to go where God sends us and do as He says even when we don't want to. God is able to exceeding and abundantly more than we can ask or think (Eph 3:20). Let's not limit His power through our own disobedience.

Bro Eli

^[1]Walvoord, John F.; Zuck, Roy B.; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 1:1470