God’s GPS
BRD REFLECTIONS:
(Judy Tan from Worship & Music Ministry)
READ:
Jonah 1 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
Jonah 1 speaks of God’s sovereign plan for Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah’s disobedience to go to Tarshish instead and God’s response to Jonah’s disobedience. Jonah did not follow “God’s GPS”.
In the account of Jonah, these key points triggered my reflections:
- God’s sovereign plan for Jonah (v2)
- Jonah’s disobedience to God’s instructions (v3)
- God’s wrath as a consequence of Jonah’s disobedience (v4)
- Jonah’s confession of disobedience to the God he worships (v9, 12)
- God’s sovereign way, not man’s way (v13)
- God’s mercy. He saves when called upon (v14, 15)
From the reading, the message to me was that, as in Jonah, God expects obedience of me too, as a child of God.
APPLY:
This account of Jonah tells me of God’s desire for my obedience in all things big or small, seen or unseen. Not only do I need to obey God when He directs me in major decisions of life, but also in the daily living out of my journey in Christ. I also learned that disobedience on my part would mean having to bear the consequences of my choices, just like Jonah had to. The lesson I learned is to trust God in my obedience for the things I have yet to see.
This brought to mind an episode when my good intentions were misunderstood by a sister-in-Christ. This caused our relationship to become fragile. The Lord was clear as He instructed me to save the friendship, to go ask for forgiveness and be reconciled, before I worship the Lord at the altar that day.
In my human mind, I was afraid that I would be rejected if I made the first move, but God again impressed upon me that I needed to initiate and reconcile. As I came to terms that I should obey, though not knowing how and when, God in His sovereignty, miraculously brought the sister, right in front of me when I opened the door to go into the sanctuary. Praise God for His ever presence, going ahead to help me do what He wants me to do.
The preparation for today’s BRD sharing has helped me recall how God will work things out if I surrender, obey and trust Him as He instructs. As a warning of disobedience, Jonah 1:1-16 shows me what the consequences could be, if I too, like Jonah, choose to not obey God but go my way. By His grace, may I choose to follow God’s GPS.
DO:
I need to spend more time with God in His word to know His instructions for me.
I need to be still to hear His voice and be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit for His guidance, leading and teaching.
PRAY:
Thank you, Lord, for your mercies which are new every morning.
Lord, I pray for courage to trust and obey You for things I have yet to see, knowing that Your sovereign plans will prevail. Grant me a sensitive spirit to hear You, O Lord. Convict me and grant me the humility to obey You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
