Who always listens and obeys God immediately? Not Jonah. God had told Jonah to call people to repent of their evil activities in the city of Nineveh (in present-day Iraq). Instead of completing the assignment, Jonah fled (“Jonah ran away from the Lord” – Jonah 1:3; NIV)
Most people are very familiar with what happens next. Big fish, etc. But Jonah got a new chance from God: “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.’ Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.” (Jonah 3:1-3; NIV)
Our God is a God of the second 528,314th chance. God has a lot of patience with us. When I think of myself … For 34 years, God has been working on me over and over again to write for and about Him. Eventually, even I could not ignore the urge; KTNJ started.
Of course, we try to obey God. Of course, we ask Him for wisdom and guidance. But when we absolutely just get it wrong, then we know, God will not let us down.
“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.” (God in Isaiah 48:17-18; NIV)
Say (!) this: My dear God, let me know more and more what I should do for You. I want You to guide me to move from one glory to the next glory in my life. I thank You for Your help (or, of course, in your words).
