The book of Jonah doesn’t end the way we might expect. From the belly of a fish, Jonah recommitted himself to the Lord’s purpose. But later, he admitted he didn’t want the job—and the Lord chastised his selfishness. You see, Jonah was sent to the Ninevites, who were a threat to the Jewish people. The reluctant prophet was afraid that if these enemies repented, his merciful God would not destroy them. Jonah confessed he wanted to see the Ninevites wiped out: “Therefore in order to forestall [their salvation] I fled to Tarshish” (Jonah 4:2 NASB 1995).
Sometimes we resist God’s will because we dislike the probable outcome of obedience. Or like Jonah, we focus on our own desires and comfort and lose sight of what’s really important. But our feelings about what might happen are not a reason to resist God’s plan. If the Lord calls us to act, He will take care of the results. Our job is to obey.
What selfish desire is keeping you from obeying the Lord? Maybe you are too angry with your spouse to work on your marriage or too hurt to welcome back a repentant friend. But Christians are not to be ruled by feelings. Obedience is what’s required, and its blessings may surprise you.
We may be tempted to think that disobedience in a small matter really won’t affect us too much. Surely God isn’t going to be bothered by something so inconsequential, especially if our motives are good. But in reality, we never have good motives for any act of disobedience, and the consequences aren’t lessened by our attempt to diminish its size.
King Saul didn’t want to go to battle until Samuel was there to offer the burnt sacrifice. But when the prophet didn’t arrive on time and the army was beginning to desert, fear made Saul impatient. So he handled the offering himself, attempting to get God’s blessing by disobediently usurping the role of the priest. When confronted by Samuel, the king tried to justify his actions.
What Saul saw as a small, necessary disobedience, God viewed as a serious act of rebellion. As a result, Saul’s kingdom would end and the Lord would one day appoint someone else to Israel’s throne.
Are there any “small disobediences” in your life that you’re trying to justify? It could be something you’ve done or perhaps something you’ve refused to do. The only solution for any act of disobedience is to confess and repent.
“I quit.” We generally say this when a relationship, job, or the like becomes so stressful that we don’t think we can continue. Sometimes these words are even spoken to God when the demands seem too great, the cost too high, or the obstacles too daunting.
But even in discouraging times, God has made a provision for our endurance. We have the witness of believers who’ve gone before us—especially the ones whose stories are recorded in Scripture. And, of course, our ultimate example is Jesus Christ. He endured the cross not only to save us but also to encourage us not to grow weary and lose heart.
Troubles abound in this sin-wracked world, but God says we’re blessed when we persevere under trials (James 1:12). In order to endure, we must rid ourselves of sin and obstacles to our spiritual progress. Then we can grow in Christlikeness and usefulness to the Lord.
When we consider giving up, we’re focusing on ourselves instead of on our Savior, who’s provided everything we need to persevere. The desire and power to keep going are from God, not from self-will and determination. Human efforts may fail us, but the Lord never will.
How confident are you that God will fulfill His promises? So often we face situations that seem to prove that the Lord has let us down. This is the case especially when we’ve waited a long time without a glimmer of change. Sometimes we come to this conclusion because we’ve set our expectations on the wrong things. But there are also times when the Lord takes us on a long journey of perseverance before His promises come to pass.
That was definitely the case with Abraham. The Lord promised to make him a great nation with descendants beyond number, but he remained childless for many years until his wife Sarah was well past childbearing age. But as Abraham contemplated the physical impossibility of the situation, his faith in God’s promise grew stronger, not weaker. He could see that the Lord would be glorified even more when the promise came to pass in a humanly impossible situation.
Is there an area in your life where you need prevailing faith to persevere despite seeming impossibility? Be assured that “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Whatever God has promised, He will do—even if you never see the outcome in your lifetime (Hebrews 11:13).
The Lord wants to build strong faith in us so we can stand firm in His mighty power. He does this by placing us in challenging situations that are beyond our strength. If we trust in ourselves, we’ll fail. But we will discover God’s great faithfulness if we imitate David’s example from today’s passage:
• Godly motivation. The young shepherd’s desire was to defend the Lord’s name. In our challenges, we must examine our motives to be certain they’re Christ-centered, not self-focused.
• Recognition of the battle’s nature. David’s struggle in the physical realm was against Goliath. But the real battle was spiritual, and so is ours (Ephesians 6:12).
• Memory of God’s past faithfulness. David’s confidence was based on the Lord’s power that enabled him to protect his sheep from wild animals. Even if you’re a fairly new Christian, you also have a history of God’s faithfulness to strengthen and encourage you.
• Dependence on the Lord. David didn’t rely on traditional armor or weapons; he trusted the power of God to direct a small stone into the head of Goliath.
The One who conquered sin for you will also watch over, strengthen, and care for you in every challenging situation you face. Trust Him.
