Are We Running Away From—GOD’S CALLING?

—OR—

Are We Running Toward—GOD’S CALLING?

GOD is in the business of second chances!

In life, even when we are drowning, trapped within our sin, God hears our cry & God offers us His Salvation.

Then, once we claim Jesus as our Savior, Redeemer, and LORD, we are to obey His will.

• I wonder if we are more like (if I am more like)—MORE LIKE JONAH—OR—MORE LIKE NOAH.
• I wonder if we are running toward God’s calling for our lives—OR—if we are running away from God’s calling for our lives.

Praise God, His Grace is like water, flowing to the lowest places where mankind is trapped in their bondage of sin.  Thank God, once we belong to God, once we are His children, the devil cannot touch anything in the life of God’s children without God’s permission.

The LORD—HE is in control:  of all circumstances & of second chances & of EVERYTHING!

I wonder if you are (& if I am)—MORE LIKE JONAH—OR—MORE LIKE NOAH.

• In one instance, the man of God heard God’s plan, one that seemed most outlandish & ran the other way, climbed onto a small boat, running in the opposite direction—away from God’s calling.
• In one instance, the man of God heard God’s plan, one that seemed most outlandish & listened to God’s instructions & then set out to build a HUGE boat—the Ark—one he intended to climb aboard & stay upon as long as God wanted him to stay there—following God’s calling.

Jonah—

• Seemed by all accounts, to be a single man.
• Lived within a world filled with sinful people.
• Was God’s man of the hour.
• Was chosen by God for a special task.
• Had a disdain and dislike for the “lostness” he saw in the world where God was sending him.
• Did not have compassion on Nineveh and the 120,000+ people who were lost.
• Was told by God to go to Nineveh and cry out against the wickedness.
• Did not listen to God—when God first spoke to him but ran as far as possible the other way.
• Considered the people of Nineveh “animals” for their part in his ancestor’s bondage and torture.
• Faced a STORM like no other.
• When he realized his sin against God, he confessed he was the reason for the storm and encouraged the sailors to toss him overboard.
• God prepared a great fish, one that was ready to swallow Jonah.
• God shut the mouth of the fish—Tight!
• God allowed Jonah to stay within the belly of the great fish for 3 days and nights—God’s Timing.
• When God had Jonah’s attention, He spoke to him, instructing him of the way God commissioned him to serve.
• Jonah confessed his sin, & God prepared the way for the great fish to deposit Jonah upon the land.
• Jonah followed the LORD’S will for his days, witnessing and sharing God in Nineveh.

Jonah—chapters 1-4

Noah—

• Was a married man who had three grown sons, & each had a wife.
• Lived within a world filled with sinful people.
• Was God’s man of the hour.
• Was chosen by God for a special task.
• Had a compassion & a concern for the “lostness” he saw in the world around him.
• Was told by God to go to build an Ark, but before God destroyed the people, told Noah to cry out against the wickedness.
• Listened to God—from the first word God spoke to him.
• God had Noah’s attention; God spoke to him while he was still standing upon the dry, dusty land, instructing him of the way God commissioned him to serve.
• When he realized the people would not listen to the message God gave him to speak, he obeyed God and entered the Ark.
• God shut the door of the Ark—Tight!
• Found himself living aboard the Ark with a “boat-load” of stinky animals, floating for more days than he would like to count.
• Faced a STORM like no other.
• God allowed Noah to stay on the Ark as it rained for 40 days and nights—God’s Timing.
• God allowed Noah to float upon the water after the rain stopped for 150+ days and nights—God’s Timing.
• When the time was right, God anchored Noah and the Ark upon the top of the mountain.
• Noah followed the LORD’S will for his days, witnessing and sharing God with the people before God sent the rainstorm.

Genesis—chapters 6-10

We cannot save ourselves, but—SALVATION IS GOD’S TO GIVE!

We must not attempt to do any “life” balancing alone, for WE ARE TO BE—ONE WITH JESUS:  mind, body, and soul.

We are no longer living for ourselves but are to live each day—walking close beside Jesus—ONE FOLLOWING THE GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT.

In the moment of our death, we will go home.  Just like Noah, God gave us a Covenant Promise.  When we finally reach our heavenly home (the other side of the shore)—HEAVEN—then we will hear the roar of applause as the saints of heaven welcome us home.

May we not run—AWAY from God.

May we walk—WITH God, running toward—GOD’S CALLING!