Photo courtesy of CreationSwap/LuisToro

1. There are times when we will not accept God’s will because it is not inline with what we want to do or believe is right at the time. In reading the story of Jonah, he was called of God to go to Ninevah to cry against it. Jonah therefore arose and fled from the presence of God in the opposite direction of Ninevah (Jonah 1:1-3). After he spoke against the city, it is discovered that He didn’t want to see the people of Ninevah repent of their evil (Jonah 4:1-3). He knew God would forgive them if they repented of their evil.

There are many things God will call us to do. Many times they will come without notice and may even challenge the way we believe or feel toward the intended audience...and we will not want to do what He asked us.

The hardest part for many people is to accept His will for them.

2. Fighting the Lord’s purpose for you, only endangers your life (and others). As Jonah fled by ship to Tarshish, the Lord sent a great wind into the sea where the ship was to be broken (Jonah 1:4). As Jonah slept peaceably in the sides of the ship, above him were the mariners, afraid, crying out to their god, and throwing their wares into the sea.

In the midst of Jonah’s disobedience, he was comforted, while those around him feared for their lives. They were afraid of the ship being destroyed and even cast their wares into the sea to lighten the ship. They were paying a heavy cost on a count of Jonah’s actions.

When we are disobedient to the Lord’s will, what tragedy will we (or have we) cause(d) for ourselves and those around us?

3. Some will not accept God’s purpose until tragedy strikes. As Jonah is thrown overboard to save the ship from being destroyed, the Lord sends a great fish to swallow him (Jonah 1:17). He spent three days and three nights in the belly of that fish. It was there that he prayed unto the Lord (Jonah 2:1-9).

Jonah was awakened from his peaceful slumber and thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish to come to terms with God’s will for him. He compared his surroundings as the belly of hell, so that could not have been a pleasant place.

For many of us, we may face all types of temptation and sin because of our disobedience. We open ourselves to injuring our lives and those of others as well: financially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

4. God will still accept you if...

David wrote that a broken spirit and a contrite heart, the Lord would not despise (Psalm 51:17). As he sat in the great fish, he prayed unto the Lord. The Lord heard his cry as he turned himself back unto the Lord.

When we are in the midst of our own destructive circumstances brought on by our own sin (of disobedience), we can yet return to the Lord. Though we cannot turn back the tragedy we have brought on thus far, we can humble ourselves to accept His truest purpose for our lives.

5. He has EVERY right to use you as He pleases. After Jonah prayed, the Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah upon dry land. The Lord then spoke the exact word to Jonah that He said in the beginning (Jonah 3:1-2). However, this time Jonah followed through on the word spoken by the Lord.

As he speaks the Lord’s message, the entire city believed God, proclaimed a fast and turned away from their evil (Jonah 4:5-9). As the Lord saw their works, that they (1) turned from their evil and (2) repented of their evil, He turned from what He was planning to do to them - to overthrow the city in 40 days (Jonah 4:4).

For those that are restored, God may in return give them the exact purpose at the first, but then again, He may not. We must all understand that God is sovereign and has EVERY right to use us as He pleases. We live for His good pleasure and NOT the other way around.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV) - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

There may be people the Lord calls you to or give you a particular purpose YOU do not want to accept. However, God is sovereign and will use us to accomplish His will upon the earth as He sees fit. Many times we want to experience how merciful, gracious, patient, and loving the Lord is (Psalm 145:8), but we may not want others (we don’t feel deserve it) to experience the same. The Lord blesses the just and unjust alike (Matthew 5:45). He will send us all over the world to help His people because He loves them just the same. We have no right to interfere with the Lord's love or plans.

May we accept His purpose and will immediately and spare ourselves and those around us many troubles and pains.