“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ Jonah 3:1-2

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’

Is your heart always sensitive to God’s prompting?

I would prefer to answer yes; however, as I contemplate my own response, I recognize that the only truthful answer is emphatically, “no.” Regrettably, many times my heart is enticed by my own selfish cost, comfort, and convenience. Consequently, I endure the calamity of choice — the unavoidable cause and effect of my own disobedience — choosing my will over God’s will.

Can God use a reluctant heart? Absolutely! God’s call is greater than my tendency to disobey.

Interestingly, Jonah’s book begins with God commissioning Jonah to be his representative among the Ninevites. Jonah, refusing to embrace God’s call, encounters the persuasive calamity of his own self-centered choice. Despite Jonah’s obvious reluctance, God never revokes Jonah’s mission mantle; rather, through Jonah’s crisis of circumstance and ensuing prayer, God reiterates Jonah’s call. Ultimately, Jonah’s obedience influences repentance among the Ninevites.

What can we learn from Jonah’s initial response to God’s call? Primarily, when God asks us to embrace his call, we cannot emulate Jonah’s flight, fear, or foot-dragging reaction without consequence. As present-day Gospel custodians, individually and collectively, we cannot allow personal interests and priorities to influence our reluctant response. God calls every Christ-follower to be his hands, feet, and voice. May his enduring grace inspire us to influence our sphere of influence and especially those he calls to become his own.

Dear Heavenly Father, create in me a faithful heart that is sensitive to your prompting. Empower and equip me to be your hands, feet, and voice among those I encounter in my life journey. Amen.

By Allan Mitchell
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• When God Whispers Your Name
• Voice Of One Calling
• Story of Shining Your Light

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