Read Jonah 1:1–4

As a pastor, I often get asked questions regarding God’s will. Here is a sample:

What if I know the will of God, but I’m not able to do it?
Why can’t I rely on my feelings?
Can I be in the will of God and not realize it?
What about situations I’m going through that aren’t addressed in the Bible?
Is God serious about everything He commands?

Remember what happened when Jonah rebelled? Read this brief refresher:

The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.

But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. (Jonah 1:1–4)

Not a pretty picture!

Jonah could have been asking all the questions I highlighted above and more! He knew God’s will, but he refused to do it. He felt anger and a sense of self-justification. He went with that rather than obedience. He quite likely figured God must not have had the full picture when He called him to Nineveh.

We’ve all been there—storming out of God’s presence in a huff, unwilling to do what He commanded. The result is always what Jonah experienced—an absolute disaster for him and everyone within close range!

Don’t wait for God to hurl a storm at you. You know what He desires. If you’re unclear—go back and search the Scriptures. He will make Himself plainly known to you when you seek Him with a humble spirit. One final word of advice: don’t put this off too long.

Devotional content taken from Good Morning, Lord...Can We Talk? by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. All rights reserved.

The full devotional can be purchased at https://www.tyndale.com/p/good-morning-lord-can-we-talk/9781414380681.