FAITH CAPSULE: Disobeying God is disengaging God’s presence.

Jonah 1

It is written, “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.” 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.” (Jonah 1:1-3) God called Jonah for assignment but Jonah disregard God’s calling by going in opposite direction of God’s assignment. Jonah was called to go to Nineveh but went down to Tarshish. Bible described Jonah’s redirection as “going from the presence of the Lord.” Many have been called but many disobey by taking to opposite direction. Disobedient to God is the evidence of going from the presence of the Lord.
Disobeying God is disengaging the presence of God. Disengaging God is the evidence of walking in self’s way not the way of God. Have you been called to God’s particular way? There is no other way that is right but only God’s way. Anyone that takes outside of His way will end up in the way of death. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Why not take to the way of God?
Obeying God’s calling is certain to deliver obedient man. In God’s calling and obeying His calling, it is set and certain that God will back up the obedient man for a positive result. Have you been called by God but fear for the assignment is scary? Is your challenges to obey God’s calling is the spirit of disobedience? Listen, go and answer God obediently, retain His presence and He will not fail you. I Thessalonian 5:24 encourages answering to God’s calling, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Disobedience of Jonah took him away from the presence of God and placed him in the belly of fish. The bible recorded, “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17) Disengagement from the presence of God ordered self-affliction for Jonah. Spending days and nights in the belly of fish was not a fun fair but was a falling fail. Repentance and prayer will reengage man to God. Jonah could not remain outside of God but “…prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, and He answered me.” (Jonah 2:1-2) God is merciful and He is still in the business of answering to the cry before Him. Do not disobey God to disengage His presence.

Prayer for today: Ask God for His merciful in all area of disobedient to His calling.