Jonah’s Flight

Tel Aviv, Israel

Jonah lived in Gath-hepher, a small town near Nazareth, Israel when God called him to go and preach repentance to Ninevah in Assyria, about 500 miles away, because the people there were very wicked. I would compare them to terrorists today. Assyria had attacked Israel in the past, perhaps even during Jonah’s lifetime. Maybe he saw his parents or siblings killed in front of him. That would be a good reason for him not to want to go into harm’s way. He decided to leave his comfortable home and go to Joppa, modern day Tel Aviv, and board a ship to Tarshish in Spain near Gibralter, 2500 miles west. Ninevah was a little over 700 miles east of Joppa (Jonah1).

Jonah thought he could run away from God, but the ship he was on ran into a terrible storm. He was thrown into the sea and swallowed by a big fish. After three days in the belly of the fish, he cried out to God who caused the fish to spit him out onto a beach. Then Jonah decided to preach to Ninevah, and the people repented. They did not hurt him.

What Would You Do?

If God called me to leave my comfortable home and go into harm’s way to witness to some mean people, I would tell my husband and hope he would decide for me to stay home. That may sound like I don’t care about people, but that is not true. Maybe I care more about my safety, and I appreciate the ministry in which God has called me to reach the people in my community.

What would you do? I hope you would be braver than I am and, at least, pray about your new assignment. Paul worked in the mission field through great suffering and hardships. He asked for God to remove the “thorn in his flesh” three times, but God said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Although I have never had a dangerous assignment like going to Ninevah, I have cried out to God in difficult situations and found that He worked His strength in my weakness. Through His partnership with me in ministry, together we have accomplished more than I could ever imagine.

Prayer

Holy and merciful God, empower us with your confidence and strength to respond in positive ways to your callings. Be strong in all our feelings of inadequacy so you will get the glory through the saved lives of many. In Jesus’ name, Amen.