The Jonah Principle, part 2

I'm sure Geppetto's time in the belly of the whale was much better than what Jonah experienced.  Animation has a wonderful way of making the dark terrible places seem nice.

But Jonah knew no such setting. As he sat in the belly of the fish I'm sure it was dark, hot, smelly and silent.  It was not the destination he had imagined.

After we say "yes" or "no" to God the results are not always up to us.  Jonah's time in the belly of the fish was not his goal. He wanted to simply run away from God and not do what God had asked.  Now he sat....in stomach juices, black all around, silence that would deafen you and thought about his choice.

When we say no to God we find ourselves in a dark place.  It's the result of our choice, a place we would have never chosen if we had known that "no" would lead us here.  But here we are....now what?

For Jonah it took three days before he surrendered, before he said to God, "OK, I give up.  I will do what you ask. I will obey."  He was a stubborn man!  So are we.  We resist God, we say "no!" and endure the confines of our prison because we don't want to say yes to God....and so he waits.

Finally, when the silence of God had given Job time to think, he bowed his knee to the sovereign and surrendered.  It was only then that he saw light once more, but it had changed him.  He would never be the same again.  His rebellion has scarred him.  The scars of the whale's stomach would be seen by everyone.

Some of us yield and say yes to God.  We bow the knee and surrender to him.  Many never will.  They would rather die than surrender and so they live in darkness, angry at the God who put them there, but like little children with their arms crossed they will not surrender!  They will not give in.....

Where are you?  Where did your "no" take you?  Did you finally bow to the one who asked you to serve him?  Did you finally give him the glory he is due or are you still in the belly of the fish stomping your feet and refusing to give in?

The Jonah Principle #2 is this-  When you say "no" to God you will never win the battle of wills.  God has invited you to say "yes" to him and until you do you will find life a dark smelly place.  

Just ask Jonah.