The Prophet Jonah’s disobedience caused him extreme hardship. The people of Nineveh were enemies of God’s people. But because of His great love, God did
not want them destroyed. He knew that the way they were living would cause them certain ruin so He sent a prophet to deliver them from impending disaster.
But Jonah was not so compassionate. Jonah ran from God after being commanded to proclaim God’s message to Nineveh. Jonah didn’t really want to see these
people saved so he ran away. He thought that if he refused the assignment it meant God would destroy the city.
This type of ignorance can create great difficulty for anyone who acts upon it. When Jonah launched out to sea, headed as far away from Nineveh as he could
get, he soon found himself faced with great disaster.
What separates Jonah from many people today was his willingness to repent and accept the will of God. When he was thrown into the sea, swallowed by a fish,
and tied up with seaweed, Jonah did not complain to God. He did not even cry out to Him for mercy, but rather he simply laid hold of God’s promise
for redemption.
“Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep
closed around me; weeds were wrapped around my head.
“I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord,
my God” (Jonah 2:4-6 NKJV).
Jonah continued to trust his life to God when all he could see around him was the inside of a fish and seaweed. He knew enough about God to know that he
had to look up. He looked toward God and said, “You have brought up my life from the pit.”
When we look up as Jonah did, God will get us out of our trouble. Many remain in the “belly of the fish” through continuing in the attitude of disobedience
that got them there in the first place. But when Jonah began to speak the Word of the Lord, God spoke to the fish and commanded it to release him and
put him on dry ground. Once Jonah obeyed the Lord and delivered His message to Nineveh, it resulted in the deliverance of 120,000 residents.
It is quite clear that disobedience is the root of much misery. But through the obedience of Jesus, man has returned to his original destiny—a
relationship with God. Our choice to obey God is one way in which our relationship with God can be maintained. But we can no longer rely on our
own good works to impress God; instead we must keep a yielded and obedient heart. Yield to Him today.
