Your “This Time” Moment
“This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large it took three days to see it all.” [Jonah 3:3]
Ever been swallowed by a fish so large you survived inside of it for three days? Yeah, me either! But Jonah did and lived to tell about it! (In case you are wondering, yes, it was a “large fish” and not a whale!) Here is the short back story:
God instructs Jonah to go to Nineveh and deliver a message to the residents of that large city. However, Jonah doesn’t want to go. So, he intentionally boards a ship that was sailing in the opposite direction. The ship encounters a ferocious storm jeopardizing the ship and all its passengers. Jonah believes he is the cause of the storm and instructs the crew to throw him overboard. So they do what Jonah tells them to do. (How ironic is that?!) As a result, Jonah encounters a big fish that inhales him. While inside the fish, Jonah has enough sense to pray. (I would be praying too!!!) After three days of surviving inside this massive fish, Jonah is “vomited” out of the fish and onto dry land. Then, while Jonah is regaining his composure and figuring out how to tell this “fish story,” God repeats His initial instruction: Go to Nineveh. “This time,” Jonah obeyed.
Although, I have never been swallowed by a big fish, I haven’t always done what I knew I was supposed to do. I have boarded my own “ship” and gone in the opposite direction. I rationalized that God gave me a brain and He expected me to use it. Therefore, I knew what direction was best. I knew what choice to make. I knew what decision would work out for my good. Guess what? I found out that I didn’t know what direction was best, what choice to make, or what decision would work out in my favor. It was just the opposite! Consequently, I got swallowed by my own “big fish” of pride, embarrassment, haughtiness, and self-reliance. Once I admitted that God’s plan was so much better than mine, I found myself on dry ground with a second chance!
A word of advice from an expert on the subject: Obey God the first time! It will save you the trouble of “swimming” around in the innards of a bad situation!!
May the first time be your “this time” moment!
