Turning back on my call

“Your voice calls me to the waters Where my feet may fail And there I find you in the uncertain I will walk on the sea” Song Oceans by Hillsong United

Throughout the Bible we see how God called people of all kinds. They were all called in different ways and to different tasks, for the same purpose; glorify His name. Now, everyone's response was not the same. There were those who obeyed (Abraham, Joshua and Hosea), others who doubted (Moses and Jeremiah), some who feared (Ananiah) and there were those who fled (Jonah). It is this last answer that we want to focus on.

Many of us remember Jonah as the one who “did not listen to the word of God” and that “that's why people threw him into the deep sea. And a very big fish came...”, and they know the rest of the song. Jonah is a good example of disobedience in the Bible. But there are many other teachings contained in this book. We might think or assume that Jonah was out of his mind when he decided to “flee” from the presence of God. It might even seem to us that he did it in the most absurd way that could exist. But would we consider thinking that we sometimes do the same thing to God when he calls us?

It is important to understand the context in which this call occurs. The book does not narrate that Jonah argued with God when he initially told him to go; I just run away. Jonah knew where God was sending him to go, what was difficult for him to understand was why. Nineveh was known for its wickedness. It dominated lust, idolatry, sorcery, violent wars, exploitation of the weakest, and anger. The only way to be free from the approaching punishment (Nahum 2:3) was after a sincere repentance of the city. Despite all this, God called Jonah to go to Nineveh. Because God's perspective was much broader than Jonah's, and, without a doubt, it is broader than ours as well.

Sometimes God calls us into the unknown. It could even direct us to places, or people, whose history we know. So it might seem illogical to us that he chose us to go. But as happened with Nineveh, God sees further

(Jonah:10-11). Our ability to see and understand is not the same as God's. Our logic is limited, God's is not. Like many biblical characters, it is normal to feel concern and doubt when faced with God's call. But this cannot lead us to give in to the temptation of feeling exclusive. This call is not just for us. There are still many that need to be reached. Even those who we might think “don't deserve it.” Well the truth is that none of us are deserving, it is by grace. Jesus came to Earth to give himself in love for all, so that everyone who believed in him would be saved (John 3:16). That is your mission, and we are your instruments for the fulfillment of this. Jonah was an instrument, but the mission was still God's.

The Bible shows us how God called and chose ordinary people for his extraordinary plans. God did not look for the qualified, he qualified the one he called. The apostle Paul put it another way , “God chose what was despised by the world—what is considered nothing—and used it to turn what the world considers important into nothing” (1 Corinthians 1:28 NLT).

Even today God looks for imperfect people with a surrendered heart and willing to serve Him without reservation. God wants us to respond to his call, to be willing to walk on the waters. May we keep our eyes on Jesus at all times. Let us examine the motivations of our hearts.

Will we be willing to say yes to God, even if we don't understand why? Will we be willing to obey God, even if the place (or person) He sends us to doesn't make sense to us? Will we be willing to respond, or will we continue to turn our backs on the call?

Reference:

Greenway, Roger S. 1978. Apostles to the City: Biblical Strategies for Urban Mission. Edited by Books Challenges. Grand Rapids, Michigan. Reina Valera 1960