FAITH CAPSULE: Do not be careless but be careful to move only in the word of God.

Jonah 1

The word of God is His command. God’s command is His way. Proverbs 19:16 admonished, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.”  In the command of God, His way will guide man to arrive at expected end without failure or destruction. Are you keeping His commands that sounds in your life for self-deliverance and to shape a man’s destiny in this wicked world? Is it your ways that you are keeping instead of His ways? It is important not to look over the word of God as His command in every step of life.
Jonah made choice to place his way over the way of God by disobeying God’s command. Jonah 1:1-3 recorded, “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 the son of Amittai, the prophet of God (2 Kings 14:25) could not make the choice for God’s command but made the choice of his way. Jonah’s careless response to the word of God caused him to be stumbled and took a position of self-destruction. Regardless of any challenging situation, Jonah’s business was to obey as commanded by God alone.
It was God Himself who called Moses out to go and lead the children of Israel out of the bondage that lasted over four hundred years. Moses was careless not to be careful to the word of God. He reacted to the rebellious act of the children of Israel towards God. Moses took it upon himself to strike the rock instead of speaking to the rock for water. Before God, no excuse will excuse man from answering to God’s command. There was no excuse for Moses before God when he took to his word. God responded to Moses, “…Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” (Numbers 20:12)
Do not be careless to God but be concerned and not be corrupted in responding to God’s command. Disallow your concern; allow His command for you to become established in His command. Regardless of your stand before God, remain careful and not be like Prophet Jonah and Moses a great man of God who were careless but not careful to move in the word of God. At all step of your life consistently attend to God and God will give you unshakable attention.

Prayer for today: Ask God for grace to be walking in His way all the days of God’s given life to you.