Read it: Jonah 1:1-17; 3:1-10
Live it:
Many of us know the story of Jonah, the story of a guy who doesn’t do what God wants him to do. This story really has it all, a prophet who rebels, pagan sailors who repent, and a king who humbles himself. If you didn’t think the story could get any more interesting, the king in the story actually makes a decree that forces the cows to fast!
It’s hard to relate to everything that’s going on since we don’t get to see a lot of cows that are fasting, but Jonah’s insecurity is something we can relate to. Nineveh was Israel’s absolute worst enemy, so we can easily understand that it was not going to be easy for Jonah to follow God’s will, but God loved Nineveh and God was asking Jonah to lovingly confront them.
However, he did not rely on God. He relied on himself, so he ran. One reason he ran was because he was self-reliant. Self-reliance is destructive, and as it grows, it begins to erode self-awareness and create even more problems.
It’s easy to fall into self-reliance, and when I find myself doing that, I ask myself this question: Am I relying on myself or God? If I’m relying on myself, then I am going to quickly remind myself that I need to realize I’m not God. God is God, and I need to let him be God over my life. That is true obedience.
Ps. James