The Heart Of The Father

 Imagine for a moment being swallowed by a fish. It must have been terrifying for Jonah. God had given Jonah a mission and he did not want to fulfill it, he instead decided to flee away from God by taking a boat in the opposite direction to where God asked him to go.

Oh, that looks like us sometimes, doesn’t it? We have all experienced a situation where we have faced two choices, that of obeying or disobeying. Like when our parents ask us for something and we know we have to obey and we decide not to do it. When we choose to disobey, we must live with the consequences that come with our disobedience.

For Jonah, the consequence of his disobedience was to be swallowed by a fish. Jonah wanted to flee away from God, but he simply could not because God is everywhere and the love the Father has for us is greater than our disobedience. Even in the belly of the fish where it smelled bad, the Father was there with Jonah, he was there to love him, to reassure him and to help him choose to do good. When Jonah decided to do good, the fish vomited him on dry land and Jonah went to proclaim the gospel to Nineveh just as God had asked him to. Jonah was terrified of the mission God had given him. He had forgotten who he was, he had forgotten that he was a son and that his Father was with him at all times, that his Father would never ask him for something he could not do.

The Father is with us at all times and with Him we are able to accomplish great things.

Prayer

“Father, I ask forgiveness for all the times I have chosen to disobey instead of obey. Help me never forget that you are there with me at all times, and that you help me to obey. Help me remember that I can always count on you at all times. Help me live in your love and experience it every day. I love you. Amen.”