The Fish Hotel

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd August 31, 2019 - Filed in Devotional - 4,943 views
  Now Yahweh's word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.' But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. Jonah 1:1 WEB
  
  The Lord told Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh, but instead, Jonah set out for Tarshish. That was in the opposite direction, and over 2,500 miles away from Nineveh. Jonah planned to get as far away from Nineveh as possible. After he boarded a ship, they sailed the ocean but were soon caught up in a terrible storm. When all hope was gone, Jonah told them to throw him into the sea so that they would be spared. So the sailors threw Jonah overboard, and after spending three days and nights inside of a custom fish hotel, Jonah was happy to go to Nineveh.
  
  A mentor of mine once saw a used car that he really wanted to buy. While at the dealership he prayed about it and felt that the Lord said, "No." He walked around the lot and called his wife to pray with her, and she said that she felt that something wasn't right about that car. He prayed about it again and he heard 'No.' Three times he prayed. Three times he heard 'No.'
  
  He walked around the car lot some more, and he decided that was the car that he really wanted. So he went back to the car, laid his hands on it and prayed again, and this time he heard very clearly: "Yes! You NEED this car."
  
  So he bought it and started home with his little red chevy vega, but on the way there, the engine oil light came on. He stopped at a service station and filled it up with oil and resumed his trip, but soon the oil light came on again. To shorten this up, the car ended up sitting in his driveway with a blown engine while he made the payments on it for the next two years. It was a lemon.
  
  If you try and twist God's arm to give you what you want, you just might get it. The prodigal son's dad gave him his inheritance early, but it didn't go well. Be honest with yourself and listen to the Lord the first time so you can avoid the fish hotel experience for He knows what is best for you.
  
  Prayer: Heavenly Father please help me to see past the natural and learn to trust You in my decisions. Speak to me in a way that I understand, and give me the grace to be obedient, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.
  
  

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