If we could only surrender.
I know that the common theme lately has been surrender. Our Lean into Jesus conference was such a great time of reflection on this subject that it has been something that has played over in my mind and the minds of our other bloggers.
If we are honest, the concept of surrender and the actual release of control over something that the Lord has placed upon your heart is usually easier to identify than it is to walk out!
Jonah
Recently I was reminded of a man who had trouble in the area of surrender. This man was named Jonah. Now Jonah was a prophet, a man who heard from God and would repeat that message to others as God instructed. In the book of Jonah, chapter 1, verses 1-2, we read:
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.”
Here we see God give Jonah clear instructions. Jonah had a choice. He could either surrender to God’s will and obey, or he could choose to ignore God’s command and disobey. In the next verse, we see the results of Jonah’s decision and how it would play out.
3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord’s presence.
You may be asking yourself, “Oh, Jonah! Why would you run from what the Lord called you to do?” Maybe Jonah had plenty of excuses for how he must have heard God wrong, or maybe he was afraid of what would happen when he got to Nineveh. Whatever the reason, we know he chose to forgo the surrender to God’s plan and to take the path he chose instead.
We read in verse 4 that a violent storm arose on the sea as a result of Jonah’s disobedience. The storm was so violent that it threatened to break the ship he was on apart.
Now Jonah was at fault! He knew it; after a while, the sailors on the ship knew it, but most of all, God knew it!
Jonah admitted in verse 12 that he was responsible for the trouble.
He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this violent storm that is against you.”
As we see Jonah admitting his fault, we also see the awareness of his need for a resolution to the situation as a result of his decision and how it was affecting him and others around him. He was then thrown overboard, and a great fish came and swallowed him up.
Consequences
As he stayed inside the belly of the fish, we see he gained a deeper level of understanding about the struggles of disobedience.
In chapter 2:1-9, you can read his reply of repentance to God. When Jonah understood that it was his disobedience to the surrender of God’s plan that brought about such a great struggle, he understood that only God could restore him to a place of peace.
Now I would like to say that Jonah learned his lesson after he spent a few days in the belly of a fish and immediately followed God and his instructions, but some of us just learn things the hard way.
Jonah obeyed God about going to Nineveh. He just threw a bit of a temper tantrum when people actually repented to the message of God instead of destruction being their outcome. In all this, God still showed mercy to him.
This is such a great reminder to me that God is so much more patient than I could ever be! It is also a warning that when we try to take matters into our own hands, we make a mess of things. If we could just truly surrender to the will of God and follow His path for us, maybe we could stay out of “the belly of the fish!”
Amanda Patterson
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#amandapattersonblogs
