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Then Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land. Yahweh's word came to Jonah the second time, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you." So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh Jonah 2:10–3:3 WEB.

Jonah plopped on the sand and shakily stood up. He was probably covered in fish vomit, for the giant fish had puked him up onto the beach. Jonah probably thought about going back to the water to rinse off, but he knew that huge thing was still out there. That would have certainly been a deterrent for me. So as Jonah stood there contemplating that, the word of the Lord came to him a second time to go preach to Nineveh. The last time, Jonah ran away. This time, Jonah went to Nineveh.

There will be times when you don't get to choose whether you will do it or not. When Moses pleaded with God repeatedly to send someone else, God repeatedly refused to change His mind and sent him. When Jonah ran away from what the Lord had told him to do, the Lord brought him back on the fish express.

Saul, the Christian persecutor, was struck blind on the road to Damascus. Then he became the Apostle Paul, a preacher of Jesus Christ. Often God will not intrude on our life, but there are times when He won't take no for an answer. We can read about these three and many more just like them. When He sends you, you go.

When I was young, the Lord told me that I would be in the ministry one day and for me to prepare myself for it. So I enrolled in Bible college and earned a degree. Yet, when I graduated, every door into the ministry was supernaturally closed. Nearly twenty years passed by, and I ended up working on computers, networks, and websites for most of it.

Somewhere along the way, I gave up on ever being in the ministry and moved on with my life. I had many reasons why it never happened. I figured that I had wrecked His plans for me somehow, perhaps one sin too many. Eventually, I forgot about the ministry altogether, and it never even crossed my mind. Then suddenly, our computer business dried up. Like cattle herded through a loading chute, I found myself herded directly into the ministry, and here I am. No one was more surprised than me.

Sometimes, God won't take no for an answer. You can run away, but He will bring you back. You can put your focus on something else, and it will disappear. You will have to align yourself with His will and go where He wants. It's always better to find what He wants and work with Him than to try to make Him work for you.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I submit my life to You. Please use me, guide me, and put me where I need to be. Speak to me in a way that I understand, and I will gladly follow You. Open my mind to the scriptures like You did the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” James 5:13 ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network. If you are interested in joining the prayer team, here is how to get started Prayer Partners.