When you feel you should do something but don't

Just do it

When is the last time you went the opposite way of Nineveh?  You know, the city that Jonah was supposed to visit for God?  I would say that, if we were all honest, many of us skip-out on our intended destinations and then complain about them later.  Thankfully, we don't end-up in large fishes!

“Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are. But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish.  He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD…” (Jonah 1:2-3).

What happened next?  Well, while on board the ship, the crew faced a terrible storm.  

“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault” (V. 12).

And that they did!  While in the sea, a large fish, directed by God, swallowed him!

Interestingly, Jonah didn't pray that God would deliver him from the fish.  He was, in a way, already delivered.  Here are two things that Jonah did that we all need to do when we fail to complete our God-given tasks:

1.  Recognize Deliverance and Act on It.
Another words, when God gives you a second, third, fourth, fifth…chance, TAKE IT!

2.  Don’t Complain About The Results You Don't Want to See.

“Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I had predicted will not happen.”

“The LORD replied, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about this?’” (Jonah 4:4:3-4).

The results may not be what you want to see, but it is what you need.  God honors your obedience, so follow the advice of Nike and “Just Do It” for God!