RISE RIGHT
Jonah 1
 
Rising up to the calling of God is one thing but going in the wrong direction is another. When going in the right direction of His calling is in place, it becomes obedience. Rising up to His calling and not going the right direction is an act of rebellion. Many have received the calling and rose in the direction of their calling by responding to the purpose of the calling. Rebellion is refusal to submit to God’s authority and rule. Rebellion is the most common act among believers because to disobey one of His commands is to have disobeyed all. There is no minor disobedience or serious disobedience; disobedience is flat-out sin. Jonah, the reluctant missionary, received the Word of God but chose rather to move into his own world. Jonah 1:2-3, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 “But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” The Word of God clearly stated that he should arise and it is mentioned that he arose, but he did not follow the Lord’s direction. Job’s disobedience was a conscious and deliberate one. He heard God clearly and he clearly relegated the command as if the command did not exist. Many have been called but very few are responding. A believer who receives the call of salvation but yet turns away from the Word of God is no different from Jonah’s act of disobedience. The evidence of not walking in the command of God is sleeping in His command. Quite a number of times, Jesus talked about the issue of sleeping. He mentioned it in the Parable of the ten virgins. When the ten virgin went to sleep, both the ones who could afford to sleep and the ones who could not afford to sleep, fell asleep. During Jesus’ transfiguration on the mount, sleeping took the place by Peter, John and James and they almost missed out on all that was important. When Jesus went to the Mount of Olives with His disciples following, He gave a command: “…Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:40) The disciples could not stay awake but fell asleep. The call of duty was neglected and sleeping had its way. They slept through until Jesus came over, “Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.”” (Luke 22:46) Rising up and not moving in direction of His command is as sleeping in the place of watching and waiting for Jesus. There is a reason for each and every one of His callings but to disobey any of His calling is an attempt of falling in line with Jonah’s disobedience.
Prayer for today: Deliver me O Lord from every spirit of disobedience.