Our dreams are always too small when compared to the magnificent dreams God has planned for His girls. While God has probably not called you to save an entire nation from destruction, He has called you to be a woman He can use. Missionary Amy Carmichael wrote, "Often His call is to follow in paths we would not have chosen."

Many of us see things differently, exactly opposite of what God wants us where to be. In 2 Kings 14:25 referred Jonah as the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of "Gath-helper" which was an ancient border town of Israel. Jonah was unlike most prophets in Israel. First of all, he was sent to a pagan nation and he also fiercely resisted God's calling him to preach to Niniveh. Immediately Jonah says no to God's calling and so he boards a ship bound for Tarshish but he will soon discover that he cannot run and hide from God and His will for his life.

Note that God literally "hurled a great wind upon the sea" threatening to break it to pieces. This must have been some storm since even the seasoned sailors were terrified and cried out to their gods and of course, since they are not gods at all, the storm continued. At risk of losing the ship, they started to toss the cargo off the ship to lighten its load, which maybe God's way of saying that when believers are disobedient to God or resist His call, even non-believers can be negatively affected.

The story of Jonah is mentioned by Jesus by example as He would be in the grave for three days.  Obviously Jesus believed the account of Jonah as being true and be extension, the Old Testament (of which He quoted profusely).  Jonah was pointed out as an example of His soon coming death and resurrection saying“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40).   More importantly, Jonah did not want Nineveh saved because they were Assyrians and they were the archenemies of Israel who had frequently been more than a thorn in their side.  Nineveh had a sordid history of cruelty, particularly against Israel, and had been their historical nemesis for centuries. It’d be like a Christian trying to witness to Saul who had been murdering and severely persecuting Christians before his conversion (who later became the Apostle Paul). 

The lesson for us is that even though we suffer persecution from non-believers, God loves them and wants to save them and we should not resist what God is calling us to do…to rescue the perishing (Jude 1:23) and to go into all the world (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). 

Who is someone you know that is hostile to the gospel?  Who are you reluctant to witness to because they may have often ridiculed you and scorned you?  Who is the least likely person that you think would ever be saved?  That may be the very person God is calling you to save through the gospel of Christ.  I say to you with 100% certainty that there is not one person on the face of the earth that God does not want to save (2 Pet 3:9).  Is that your desire?  I pray it would be.

Have a great Sunday bretheren! Maranatha! 😊