Tag Archives: Jonah 1:1-3

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 244 - Jonah 1:1-3 - Go To - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 244 – Jonah 1:1-3 – Go To – Growing As Disciples

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV)

Say Yes

That is what I always want to say to you. What do you always want to say to me? I always want to say, “yes” to you. Will it always be easy for you to say “yes” to me? It is the desire of my heart to always say “yes” to you. That is my hope and plan. You have a good desire and hope and plan. But you haven’t yet answered my specific question. Yes, I know. I’m thinking about your question. Tell me your thoughts. I know that I have not always said, “yes” to you. Sometimes, I have ignored your requests. Sometimes, I have delayed responding to your requests. Other times, I have run away from what you have asked me to do for you. Why would you ever run away from a request of mine? Your requests are not always easy. Sometimes you have asked me to leave the familiar to do what is uncomfortable. In fact, using the words, “sometimes” or “uncomfortable” or “unfamiliar” might be a bit of an understatement. Why is that? You often ask me to do things that are beyond my ability. Why would I do that? Sometimes, your requests have seemed outright scary to me. How could my requests scare you? You want to grow my faith as I rely on you to work in and through me. You want to do in and through me what only you can do. Do you have a problem with that? No, I don’t generally have a problem with that. I will confess that I have not always gone and done the difficult, unfamiliar and uncomfortable assignments you have given to me. Forgive me for that. You are forgiven.

How do you want to live your life? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you want to live with fear and doubt? Do you want to accomplish little or much? Do you want to have great or little faith? Do you want your life to bear much or little fruit for my kingdom? Do you want to bring a little or a lot of glory to my name? I see where all your questions are headed. I understand their meaning. I have only one answer. I want what you want. I will say “yes” to you. I will do and do whatever you ask of me, with all the power and strength you will give to me. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, I know you will ask me to go and do things for you. What you ask may be uncomfortable and unfamiliar or difficult and challenging. Help me to always say yes to you. I want to be able to both give and receive your blessings as I serve you. Amen

Key Question… When have you wanted to run away from something that the Lord asked you to do for Him?

Living It Out… Go and do what your Heavenly Father asks of you so you can both give and receive His blessings.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your Heavenly Father will help you to go and do what He asks of you.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you have gone and done what your Heavenly Father asked of you.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you go and do what your Heavenly Father asks of you.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 244 – Jonah 1-1-3 – Go To – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional  Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

On Your Feet And On Your Way

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 221 - Jonah 1:1-3 - On Your Feet And On Your Way - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 221 – Jonah 1:1-3 – On Your Feet And On Your Way – Growing As Disciples

One day long ago, GOD’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son:  “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”  But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from GOD. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish—as far away from GOD as he could get. Jonah 1:1-3 (MSG)

Assignment

Will you do this for me? Will I do what for you? Will you get up off your feet and be on your way to go and do what I ask of you? Will you take the assignment I want to give you? Before you answer me, you need to know that I do know your thoughts. So, don’t try to pull on over on me. Alright, I will confess that two words came into my mind about taking on an assignment from you. Let me hear those words. “That depends” came into my mind when I thought about taking on unknown assignment from you. Why is that? I’m not saying that I am proud of that response. I am also not saying that I will allow those two words to be my final answer to you. Just because those two words popped into my mind does not mean that I will grab a hold of them and make them my own. What you are saying is true. What you are saying is also being evasive. Why would the words, “it depends” pop into your mind when I ask you to go and do something for me? What thoughts are behind those two words? I do know that you like to give me a difficult and challenging assignment. You want the difficulty of my assignment to cause me to draw near to you. You want me to ask for your help. You want me to rely on you. You want to grow my faith as I go and do what you ask me. Yes, I want all these things for you. But the truth is, I don’t like to be uncomfortable. I don’t want to be inconvenienced. I don’t want to leave my comfort zone to take on a difficult and demanding assignment. You are making an honest confession. Yes, I am. That’s good. But none of what you have said is your final answer to me, is it? No, it is not. What is your final answer to me? I will take on any assignment you give to me. I want you to work in and through me. I want to be used by you. I want to bear fruit for your kingdom and bring glory to your name. So, my final answer will always be yes to you. That is very good. 

Lord, I will accept any assignment you give me. I will not run away from you. I will not bail out on any difficult task you ask me to do for you. Fully use my life. Accomplish your will, purposes and plan in and through me. I am at your service, ready for your use. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 221 – Jonah 1-1-3 – On Your Feet And On Your Way – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ - Day 244 - Jonah 1:1-3 - Go - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Becoming Like Christ – Day 244 – Jonah 1:1-3 – Go – Growing As Disciples

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV)

Say Yes

That is what I always want to say to you. What do you always want to say to me? I always want to say, “yes” to you. Will it always be easy for you to say “yes” to me? It is the desire of my heart to always say “yes” to you. That is my hope and plan. You have a good desire and hope and plan. But you haven’t yet answered my specific question. Yes, I know. I’m thinking about your question. Tell me your thoughts. I know that I have not always said, “yes” to you. Sometimes, I have ignored your requests. Sometimes, I have delayed responding to your requests. Other times, I have run away from what you have asked me to do for you. Why would you ever run away from a request of mine? Your requests are not always easy. Sometimes you have asked me to leave the familiar to do what is uncomfortable. In fact, using the words, “sometimes” or “uncomfortable” or “unfamiliar” might be a bit of an understatement. Why is that? You often ask me to do things that are beyond my ability. Why would I do that? Sometimes, your requests have seemed outright scary to me. How could my requests scare you? You want to grow my faith as I rely on you to work in and through me. You want to do in and through me what only you can do. Do you have a problem with that? No, I don’t generally have a problem with that. I will confess that I have not always gone and done the difficult, unfamiliar and uncomfortable assignments you have given to me. Forgive me for that. You are forgiven.

How do you want to live your life? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you want to live with fear and doubt? Do you want to accomplish little or much? Do you want to have great or little faith? Do you want your life to bear much or little fruit for my kingdom? Do you want to bring a little or a lot of glory to my name? I see where all your questions are headed. I understand their meaning. I have only one answer. I want what you want. I will say “yes” to you. I will do and do whatever you ask of me, with all the power and strength you will give to me. That will be very good.

Heavenly Father, I know you will ask me to go and do things for you. What you ask may be uncomfortable and unfamiliar or difficult and challenging. Help me to always say yes to you. I want to be able to both give and receive your blessings as I serve you. Amen

Key Question… How has the growth of God’s word in you made you able to bear abundant fruit for Him?

Living It Out… Meet with God in His word on a daily basis so He can plant His word deeply in your heart and mind and life.

Seeing It Happen… Have faith that your life will bear abundant fruit for God as you take it deep into your heart and mind and life.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how you are allowing God’s word to be planted deeply in you.

Prayer To Bless Others… May you allow your Heavenly Father to plant His word deep into your heart and mind and life.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Becoming Like Christ – Day 244 – Jonah 1-1-3 – Go – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional  Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Ran Away From The Lord

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Guidance - Jonah 1:1-3 - Ran Away From The Lord - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Guidance – Jonah 1:1-3 – Ran Away From The Lord – Growing As Disciples

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Jonah 1:1-3 (NIV)

Uncomfortable And Unpleasant

You have heard me speaking to you? Yes, I have heard you speaking to me. You have heard me asking you to go somewhere uncomfortable? Yes, I have heard you asking me to go someplace uncomfortable. You have heard me asking you to do something that was unpleasant? Yes, I have heard you asking me to do something that was unpleasant. Are these requests of mine quite rare and very infrequent? Are you kidding me? Is that a joke? Are you serious? I am very serious. I am not kidding you. My question is not a joke. I have a very important reason to ask you this question. Why is that? I want you to be able to hear my voice. I want you to be able to recognize where I might call you to go. I want you to be able to know what I might ask you to do. The answer to your question is somehow central to me being able to know and do your will? Yes, it is. Well, there is only one obvious answer to your question. Let me hear your answer. You frequently ask me to go places that are uncomfortable to do things that are unpleasant. This is not a rare or very infrequent event. No, it is not. So, just because something is uncomfortable or unpleasant to you does not mean that I am not asking you to go and do it? No, it certainly does not. Perhaps the very opposite is often true. How so? If something feels uncomfortable or unpleasant to me that could be a signal that you are asking me to go and do it. Yes, it could be. Never evaluate my call on your life based on your being comfortable or uncomfortable with it. Don’t try to avoid my call by thinking that I would never ask you to do something so uncomfortable and unpleasant. I won’t. Are you sure? Yes, I am sure. That will be very good.

Why do you think I frequently ask you to do what seems to be uncomfortable and unpleasant? The problem isn’t with you, it is with me. How so? I like being comfortable. I don’t like leaving the familiar to go to the unknown. I don’t like doing what I have never done before. I especially don’t like doing anything that might be the least bit unpleasant. Like what? Doing anything for people that I might not like would be at the top of my list. So, you wouldn’t want to go somewhere unfamiliar to minister to someone you might not like? That’s right. How likely will it be that I will ever ask you to do such a thing? You are likely to ask me to do such a thing frequently. Yes, I am. Will you go to the unfamiliar to do the unpleasant for me? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good.

Lord, I will say yes to however you want to use me. There is no one I am unwilling to serve on your behalf. There is no place that I am unwilling to go to serve you. Give me all the help and strength that I will need to say yes to you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Guidance – Jonah 1-1-3 – Ran Away From The Lord – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Get Up And Go

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - God's Will - Jonah 1:1-3 - Get Up And Go - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – God’s Will – Jonah 1:1-3 – Get Up And Go – Growing As Disciples

The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

Wrong Way 

Where are you going? What are you doing? What do you mean by asking me that? Are you going where I have guided you? Are you doing all that I have asked of you? Did you ask me to go somewhere? Did you ask me to do something? What do you think? I wasn’t sure that I heard you correctly. Why is that? Well, I thought I might have heard you asking me to go where I did not want to go. I thought it might be possible that you were asking me to do what I would rather not do. But, I wasn’t sure. I certainly felt no peace about what might have been your directions and instructions. So, you ignored my directions and didn’t follow my instructions? I guess so. You didn’t just ignore my directions and skip my instructions. You went the wrong way and did the exact opposite of what I was asking of you. Did you feel great comfort and peace about going there and doing that? No, not really, not at all. This is not good.

I would like to ask you a few questions. Go ahead, I’m listening. Will there be times that I ask you to go where you would rather not go? Will there be occasions when I ask you to do what you would rather not do? Will there be times that you will not understand why I am sending you somewhere unfamiliar to do what might be unpleasant and difficult? Will it ever cost you anything to follow and serve me? Must you always feel great comfort and peace before you will go and do my will? Won’t there be times that you will be uncomfortable and afraid to go and do all that I ask of you? Will the road ahead always be smooth and easy? Won’t you ever experience difficult and painful challenges? Won’t there be times that you will need to hold on to me with all your strength as you follow and serve me? I can’t adequately answer all your questions. No, you cannot.

Forgive me for not going and doing all that you have asked of me. Forgive me for not listening to your directions and following your instructions. Forgive me for running away from what you have given me to do for you. You are forgiven. Now, will get up and go and do all that I ask of you? Yes Lord, I will. That will be very good. I will be with you to help you to go and do my will.

Lord, I have been reluctant to get up and go and do all that you have asked of me. Sometimes, I have run the other way to go and do something else. Forgive me. Thank you so much for finding me, bringing me back, and giving me another chance to serve you. Amen

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

God’s Will – Jonah 1-1-3 – Get Up And Go – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com