Time is in the Lord’s hands. The steps of a believer “Are ordered by the Lord”(Psalms 37:23 NKJV). “The day is at hand” (Romans 13:12).
God’s plan belongs to him, but his plan usually involves an actual person. Sometimes the individual is ready and willing. Then, there are other times when a person is reluctant to obey the Lord. We’ve all been there and experienced those dubious times. It seems like we set our eyes on different priorities. We are in trouble. Situations happen in a way to get our attention. Some may be severe.
The following adverse events are God’s hints for us to obey his leadings.
God told Jonah to go to a specific location and share the gospel. The Bible uses the word “now” four times in the book of Jonah. Why is it important for the word “now” to appear?
The first “now” (Jonah 1:1) was a directive to go to Nineveh. The city was heavily populated (approximately 120,000, Jonah 4:11) and most did not know the Lord. The Lord wanted them to hear about salvation.
The bottom line, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. So, he went in the opposite direction. But, on his way, the Lord once again got his attention. Then, God caused a storm to erupt on the sea. So, the sailors threw him overboard. Now, God intervened again; a giant fish swallowed Jonah, and he spent three days surrounded by partially digested food before he decided to pray.
God caused the fish to vomit Jonah on dry ground. Onshore, God now told Jonah to go to Nineveh, again. So, Jonah preceded to the great city. Upon his arrival, this reluctant servant started witnessing. The metropolis believed his message and sought the Lord resulting in a tremendous spiritual harvest.
But there’s still a fourth “now.” Jonah was angry about the results. This blessed servant wanted to die. Our Lord tried to comfort his anger, but to no avail. Jonah didn’t care about God using him or converting the city.
Sadly, the scriptures are silent about the rest of Jonah’s life.
The point of this blog is simple. Are you ready to let God use you? Are you happy that the Lord is using you? Are you willing to be available for God to use you, again, when it’s time?
