You probably know the story of Jonah, the guy with the giant fish story. God gave Jonah an assignment to preach to the city of Nineveh and Jonah decided to go the opposite direction to Tarshish.
The book of Jonah begins with,
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me’” (Jonah 1:1-2).
We don’t know what Jonah was doing when the word of the Lord came to him. We do know from 2 Kings that the prophet had spoken to King Jeroboam II, a ruler who reigned during a period of prosperity. Commentators surmise that Jonah had ample personal resources if he could afford passage on a ship to Tarshish. Some experts even note that the original Hebrew could mean Jonah hired out the entire ship![i] So we might picture Jonah living a comfortable life in Gath-hepher enjoying the position of a favored prophet of the king. He did not want God to interrupt his cushy life with an arduous journey.
We also don’t know how the word of the Lord came to Jonah. Did God speak in an audible voice? Did Yahweh tap on Jonah’s heart? Did He deliver the message through someone else?
God’s Divine Direction
We all want to receive the word of the Lord. I think of times when I desperately desired specific direction. My heart cried out, “Please God, show me which way to go. Speak to me. Write in the sky.” But I wonder what I would have done if God had rented out a billboard along a highway and wrote:
Dear Sharla,
I want you to go to Papua New Guinea to share My good news.
Thanks, God.
I probably would have acted a lot like Jonah. I would have tried going north instead of south.
Usually, when I seek God’s direction for my life, I really mean, “Lord, please approve my plans” or “I have two good and favorable options, God. Which one will give me the most success and satisfaction?” Like Jonah, I don’t want God to break into my comfortable life and inconvenience my schedule. I don’t want Him to detour the usual bus route that is my life.
At times, God’s divine deviations involved big changes to my plans like moving to Western Montana instead of the Eastern United States. But often His redirections simply involve changing my daily schedule to accommodate a friend’s urgent need. It may mean I don’t get all the items on my to-do list checked off, but from my reaction you would have thought God had asked me to go to Nineveh.
Like Jonah, we may balk at God’s instructions because we have already decided our way is best.
Are we willing to let God interrupt our plans with His? The Bible tells us about God’s ways,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).
Maybe like me, you pray, “Oh, Lord, it would be so much more convenient if Your thoughts and plans matched up with mine!” Are we willing to let God redirect our lives?
Why We Can Say Yes to Divine Interruptions
Reading on in Isaiah, we learn why we can say yes to God’s interruptions:
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)
Although I am sure my plans are the best, God’s plans are even better. When we realize this, we can follow His route for our lives.
Perhaps the most important item to pack when determining God’s route for our lives is a teachable heart. Psalm 25:9 tells us,
“He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”
You’ll notice it doesn’t say, “God reveals His will to those who insist their way is right” or “The Lord directs those who stubbornly demand their own route.” Instead, our loving Father gently guides those who take His hand, admit they don’t know the best way to go, and allow Him to lead step by step.
Learning to live in God’s will means allowing God to interrupt our plans with His.
Learning to live in God’s will means allowing God to interrupt our plans with His.
[i] NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Kindle edition 7743 of 13726.
This post is an excerpt from my book Divine Directions: How God Guides Your Path–a Bible study of eight journeys in the Bible. As you study Abraham’s journey to Canaan, Ruth’s journey from Moab, the path of the Magi, and five others, you will glean principles for your own life journey and decision-making.
Divine Directions: How God Guides Your Path will help you:
- Discover biblical principles for seeking God’s guidance
- Learn about important journeys in the Bible
- Embrace God’s wisdom and timing in your life path
- Use a four-step process when making decisions
Learn more about the book here:
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