Paying the Fare of Disobedience
Jonah 1:3a: "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof…."
Any time you go against the Lord’s leadership in your life, you WILL pay the fare! Could it be that many are in a place of their own choosing, and consequently are only as impactful as their own means and limitations will allow them to be? In essence, God says, “If you want it your way, then you’ll have to pay for it yourself! But, if you do it My way, I’ll personally foot the bill!” You see, what we must realize is that when we are obedient to the Lord, we let go of the reins, thus allowing Him to work the impossible in our lives, reaching far beyond our personal limitations!
Are you in a place where it is your own limitations that keep you bound, hindering you from realizing your potential as a surrendered vessel to His divine purpose? If so, then seek the Lord, and begin your journey towards your Nineveh (the place that God is calling you), and you will be amazed at how He will start picking up the tabs for the journey, thus enabling you to serve Him to the fullest capacity! However, all too often we witness shipwreck after shipwreck of people who refused to listen and obey the Lord’s direction for their lives. Good thing Jonah had enough sense to bail out before shipwreck in his life! I imagine his 3-day journey back to shore in the whale’s belly was a sobering moment in his life, don’t you?
We ought each to search our hearts today to be sure that we’re on the path that is conducive with God’s ultimate plan and purpose for our lives, and be willing at any moment to make the necessary adjustments, as dramatic as they may seem, to get on course with Him! Someone may be reading this today, and at this moment realize that you need to make a 180-degree turn in your own life from your own will to His. I strongly urge you to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit if that is the case, because when you follow the Lord, you will NEVER go wrong!
If you’ve gotten off course, you can take the Word of God as your compass, make some adjustments, and be headed back in the right direction again. God is a God of second chances, and He has not given up on you! Just remember though; if you do not heed His voice, you will personally pay the fare, and it will not be pretty!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Any time you go against the Lord’s leadership in your life, you WILL pay the fare! Could it be that many are in a place of their own choosing, and consequently are only as impactful as their own means and limitations will allow them to be? In essence, God says, “If you want it your way, then you’ll have to pay for it yourself! But, if you do it My way, I’ll personally foot the bill!” You see, what we must realize is that when we are obedient to the Lord, we let go of the reins, thus allowing Him to work the impossible in our lives, reaching far beyond our personal limitations!
Are you in a place where it is your own limitations that keep you bound, hindering you from realizing your potential as a surrendered vessel to His divine purpose? If so, then seek the Lord, and begin your journey towards your Nineveh (the place that God is calling you), and you will be amazed at how He will start picking up the tabs for the journey, thus enabling you to serve Him to the fullest capacity! However, all too often we witness shipwreck after shipwreck of people who refused to listen and obey the Lord’s direction for their lives. Good thing Jonah had enough sense to bail out before shipwreck in his life! I imagine his 3-day journey back to shore in the whale’s belly was a sobering moment in his life, don’t you?
We ought each to search our hearts today to be sure that we’re on the path that is conducive with God’s ultimate plan and purpose for our lives, and be willing at any moment to make the necessary adjustments, as dramatic as they may seem, to get on course with Him! Someone may be reading this today, and at this moment realize that you need to make a 180-degree turn in your own life from your own will to His. I strongly urge you to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit if that is the case, because when you follow the Lord, you will NEVER go wrong!
If you’ve gotten off course, you can take the Word of God as your compass, make some adjustments, and be headed back in the right direction again. God is a God of second chances, and He has not given up on you! Just remember though; if you do not heed His voice, you will personally pay the fare, and it will not be pretty!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill