God Told Jonah to Obey...

GOD TOLD JONAH TO OBEY
But instead he ran away
Caught a ship and off he went
Very soon a storm was sent
All the sailors were afraid
Jonah said, I disobeyed.

A simple childrens song (sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) with a very profound meaning.

This was only the first verse to a song that we sang last Sunday at church to our children. Words so simple that a child can understand them but with a meaning so deep and true that we adults should shudder as we sing them.

We laugh as sing that GOD TOLD JONAH TO OBEY but instead he ran away! But isn't that a picture of us also? God tells us one thing, tells us to obey Him and follow what He tells us, but instead, we run in the opposite direction and do our own thing!

Jonah went so far as to "catch a ship" to get far away from the direction God told him to go, but then, what happened to prideful Jonah???? A storm was sent, that's what! A storm above all storms that not only affected Jonah but all the innocent people on the ship with him suffered because of his disobedience. YIKES! Many sufferered the storm right alongside of Jonah because of HIS choice to disobey God! How often in our own lives have we made others suffer because of our own selfish actions? This is a powerful question and can be life-changing if we'd allow it.

BUT....for many of us, we won't allow it. To allow this simple little song to take root in our hearts, takes a concerted conscious effort to decide to think differently and then make a change, based on what we know needs to be changed in our lives.

Isn't it time for a change? Isn't it time for us to "want" to live differently and stop the disobedience in our lives that has gone on far too long? If we, as Christians, are not willing to listen to the voice of God Himself, follow it and stop this ridiculous life of disobedience, I shudder to think the punishment that God will inflict upon us.

Jonah learned the hard way by spending 3 days and nights in the belly of a big fish! I wonder what it will take for each one of us and how much longer it will take for us to seek the Savior instead of ourselves.