Now the word of Yahweh 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. Jonah 1:1–3 WEB.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh. Yet, Jonah fled in the opposite direction. God had told him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah went to Joppa and then took a ship down to Tarshish.

Nineveh, in modern-day Iraq, was about five hundred miles east of his home in Gath-heper (2 Kings 14:25). While Tarshish, in southern Spain, was twenty-five hundred miles west. So Jonah planned to be three thousand miles away from where God wanted him to be as quickly as he could get there.

Jonah spent far more time, energy, and money doing the exact opposite of what God wanted him to do. As you might guess, trouble followed after him. The Lord told Jonah to do something, but he refused and did the opposite while fully knowing what God wanted. That's a serious decision.

I don't understand what causes a man to do that, but I have done similar things myself. We know to do right but just can't seem to do it. As Paul wrote, "For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice" (Romans 7:19).

Jonah's life then fell apart and became a living hell. At his lowest point, after being eaten by a fish and sitting alone in the dark. While covered in slime and seaweed, Jonah finally surrendered his life to God and prayed. He reversed his course. Jonah stopped running.

Things changed quickly in Jonah's life, and when he made it to the beach, the exact same word of the Lord came to him a second time. God's plan hadn't changed because of Jonah's bad behavior. His instructions were still, "Go preach to Nineveh."

There have been times when I thought that God was finished with me. Yet, when I finally turned to Him and prayed, I heard the same word come again. His plan for you is still there, even when you knew what to do and did the opposite. "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Romans 11:29). The Lord still has a plan and purpose for your life when you stop running and turn back to Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for having mercy on my life. Forgive me of the times when I have lived contrary to Your will. Lead me, and I will follow. Teach me, and I will learn. Please work Your perfect will in my life and guide me into all that You have for me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, 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.