FAITH CAPSULE: Manifestly, fleeing from the presence of God is to be presentable for the adversary of man.

Jonah 1

The word of God is alive, it is not letter. A failure to obey the word of God is making a choice that is opposite of living life. A failure is self-created of self-destruction. When Jonah failed to obey the word of God, he faced his own self-created self-destruction. Without doubt, the word of God is God. Hearing and listening to the word of God is to obey the word of God so as to assess the presence of God.
The Bible recorded in Jonah 1:1, “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” God called on Jonah but he failed to move in response to God’s calling. Jonah’s disobedience to the word of God was described as Jonah’s departure from the presence of God as stated “…Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” (Jonah 1:3)
Manifestly, fleeing from the presence of God is to be presentable for the adversary of man. As a result of Jonah’s disobedience, the vehicle of transportation encountered a mighty tempest on the sea. Jonah’s disobedience set the passengers up for destruction. Jonah was approached as a result to the trouble on the storm. Despite Jonah’s disobedience he went further and claimed in Jonah 1:9, “So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Imagine a man that knows the word of God disobeying God’s word and standing on the same ground claiming the fear of God in his life? At every time that you hear God’s command and you move in opposite direction of God’s command, you are heading in the direction of self-created self-destruction. Jonah was heading in the direction of self-destruction. God is the only creator of man, the commander with expectation to be obeyed. God expects our obedience and none to be disobeyed. Obeying nine out of ten God’s command the same failure as in obeying one out of ten. Despite Jonah’s claim of the fear of God, he was still in the journey of disobedience.
Are you a present day Jonah? Are you a conscious obedience or disobedience of the word of God? Disobeying the word of God is building up a self-destruction. Obeying every living word of God is walking on a ground that does not disappointment obedient children of God. In the life of journey, obey the word of God to avoid self-destruction.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace of obedience to the living word of God.