The World's Most Creative Time-Out

Jonah.  One of the many people in the Bible who managed to give us a fantastic example of what NOT to do.  And yet, he was able to get his act together (for a time, anyway), with a classic illustration of reluctant obedience :-).  Looking for some spiritual introspection today?  Read on to see what we can learn from our good friend, Jonah.... 

Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT) says "The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Get up and go to the great city of Ninevah!  Announce my judgement against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.'  But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction in order to get away from the LORD..."

Jonah was told by God to do something he didn't want to do so, like a petulant child, he manipulated his circumstances to try and find a way to escape.  Jonah's disobedience eventually landed him in the belly of a huge fish where he sat in a divinely appointed "time-out" for three days and three nights.

PONDER THIS:
Have you ever felt God telling you to do something you didn't want to do?  Or to NOT do something you DID want to do?  Was your response similar to Jonah's; a frantic attempt to manipulate your circumstances in a pitiful effort to escape God's notice?  Have you ever found yourself stuck in the stench-filled belly of your consequence, wondering what in the word you were thinking in the first place? 

Our sinful nature is in a constant battle with the Holy Spirit that is alive within us.  God, in an effort to make us more like Christ, will challenge us to chip away at anything that doesn't resemble Him.  Trying to escape his divine chisel will only lead to heartache and pain.

READ JONAH 2: 1-10

Jonah's prayer illustrates his profound repentance, his acknowledgement that God is sovereign and his gratitude for God's salvation.  Take a moment to think about Jonah and his earnest prayer after being delivered from such an extraordinary circumstance.  Can you relate to Jonah's experience?  Jonah had to learn the hard way that trying to "get away from the LORD" can lead to painful consequences, enduring the world's most creative time-out in the process.  What can you learn from his example?