“God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty—never canceled, never rescinded.” Romans 11:29, MSG
A wind of change had rolled into my life. I saw it shortly after my two foster girls left my home that May. While I had them, stress had taken over my physical body as I battled with a long-term sinus and ear infection with a cough that eventually turned into asthma. My main goal after they left was to get well.
As life quieted down, God’s spirit communicated the word “rest” to me. That word created an adverse effect within me. I began to wrestle with God over the word. I didn’t exactly understand what it could mean in my life. At the time, I knew I grappled with some circumstances that were out of my control, and I needed to entrust them into His hands fully. I didn’t inquire of the Lord any further on the matter.
Just a few months later as the new school year rolled in, I jumped back into my same routine of work and taught my girls’ Bible study. In addition to that, I decided to take on two extra responsibilities: I would teach a ladies Bible study group and take a graduate level course at the university to further my education and expand future professional opportunities. I had gone straight into the new school year in exactly the opposite direction of “rest.”
By October, I was exhausted. As I had committed myself to these responsibilities, people counted on me, and school tuition was way too expensive for me to give half of myself to the work demands. I was committed to all that I had agreed to do for at least another two months. By now, I realized I had gone about my own course rather than listened to the polite nudge of the Holy Spirit. What I tried to substitute in place of God’s plan of rest for me fell short in every respect, and it started to show up– even in areas where years of hard work and success were written on it.
Interestingly, when Jonah ran away from the Lord, headed for Tarshish, it was a city about 2,500 miles from Israel. As such, it was one of the farthest places in the opposite direction of Nineveh that Jonah could go (Jonah 1:3a). Isn’t it the same with us? When God calls us to do something and we don’t do it, we end up going in the polar opposite direction of God’s intention for us.
Jonah was called to go to Nineveh, and his disobedience to set sail in the opposite direction didn’t come without its consequences. The ship encountered a severe storm. It almost cost the lives of himself and others. As lots were cast for the cause of this unusual storm, the lot fell to Jonah; the accusations rolled in: “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” and lastly, “What have you done?” (Jonah 1:8-10).
For Jonah to correct-course, it was not a “sunshine and roses” turning point. Jonah literally was thrown overboard by the crew into a raging sea (Jonah 1:15). Others–the crew– had to take matters into their own hands because of Jonah’s continual obstinance, and it was at the discretion and expense of their consciences as Jonah’s actions had not only endangered himself but those with him in the same boat.
Here we see God echo Jonah’s call to mission in his life. God orchestrated the storm and its restoration to calmness once he was thrown in; He also honored the crew’s reckless abandonment to find a quick solution to save their lives as God provided a whale where Jonah would miraculously sit in its belly, undigested, for the next three days.
God holds him in that dark, smelly place where Jonah couldn’t escape the presence of his God. God had to separate Jonah, alone, from others, so that He could perform “spiritual surgery” on Jonah’s disobedient heart. Only until that deep internal work was done did God “command the whale to vomit Jonah out” (Jonah 2:10). The call on Jonah’s life was irrevocable because God would make sure however He had to do it, He would bring Jonah to His purpose regardless of Jonah’s actions or inactions.
By the end of the book, it is revealed that Jonah knew if he complied with God’s mission for Nineveh, the means to the end would be God’s plan would ultimately prevail. Jonah did not wish for the betterment of others as much as himself and what he thought was the right path. Similar to Jonah, I had developed an unhealthy mindset about God and how my current life situation stood at the time: Why hope and pray? No matter what I do, You are going to do what You want to do anyway. In my restless state of mind, I talked to a friend about it:
“I’ve given Him everything He’s asked of me. I’m afraid He’ll ask for more.”
“Whose is it?” my good friend asked me as I aired my restlessness.
I knew my friend was right. “I’ve given Him whatever He wants.”
“For what?”
“For what, what??” I laughed out loud at my reply. “There is no what.”
My friend’s simple line of questioning had drawn it out of me. Up to that point, I knew I had obeyed God in His requests for my life because of who He is. The foundation of understanding was there, but the living-it-out part was cracked with doubts and worries and fears. I was holding onto my plans– though flawed in its corruptible security– rather than God’s purpose for me.
The casting of lots caused the crew members to press Jonah with questions too. His quiet disobedience had become a public appall, but God’s gifts and His calling for Jonah was under full warranty—never meant to be canceled or rescinded (Romans 11:29).
Aren’t you glad God’s mercy runs after us? Oh I’m sure Jonah wasn’t thankful that God was chasing him with His purpose to be fulfilled through him. His mercies are great and unfailing. Thank God He gives us mercy in place of our disobedience when we are “at odds with His purpose” (Romans 11:29-32).
Jonah knew exactly who he was and whose he was: “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land” (Jonah 1:9). Jonah also was aware of his current spiritual condition: “He knew he was running away from the Lord because he had already told [the sailors] so” (Jonah 1:10b). Like Jonah, we know Whose we are and where we are. Let’s take close inventory of ourselves and our points of navigation. Some of us may need to do an about-face if we are moving in the opposite direction of His calling on our life. It’s never too late. Our God waits for us with relentless mercy.
A closing prayer:
Lord, the best life we can live is to carry out Your plans and purpose. Help us in our disobedience to that calling when we want to go in the opposite direction of what You have told us. Thank you for Your relentless mercy that never stops short when we do. May we be pliable in Your hands so that Your will would be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
Verses:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:8).
“…for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).
Photo by Artem Kovalev on Unsplash