Jonah 3 Following Jesus When You’d Rather Run AwaySýnishorn

Our Preparation Has a Purpose

Let’s take a closer look at the size of Jonah's mission and the time of his preparation. Scripture tells us it will take Jonah three days to journey through the city of Nineveh. Three days to walk through a city that he is not from, doesn't want to be in, one that is full of violent, cruel, wicked people with whom his country has been at war for years–all to bring a message of judgment on them. And he was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights.

What good news for us today, that our preparation has a purpose. This means that all the bumps in the road along the way, all the time spent on the same things, battling the same sin, fighting what seems like the same fights, all of the sideways steps, the wrong turns, and the detours ALL lead up to and play a part in what God is doing in our lives. All of that preparation has a purpose.

It may not always line up perfectly where it's three days of preparation for three days of impact. But more often than not, the longer the preparation, the greater the impact. Jesus spent 30 years on planet earth preparing for just three years of ministry. So if you feel like God has forgotten about you in the belly of whatever whale of a world you're living in, know that the Father never forgets His sons or daughters, and He has not lost sight of a single one of his kids.

You are not forgotten. He will not give up on you. Ask yourself today, have I given up on him? Am I leaning into the preparation period He has me in, or am I fighting to have an impact in areas that I am not yet prepared for?

He is preparing you for your purpose today.

Pray: Ask God to give you a greater understanding of what He is preparing you for. Thank Him for the preparation journey. God reminds us in His word that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus – thank Him for that today!