Shipwrecked – Making Jesus the One ThingChikamu

Wreck Yourself or Be Wrecked!

Sometimes God has a way of shipwrecking us even if we try to fight against or flee His will. It almost literally happened to Jonah when he refused to prophesy to Ninevah. The Bible says that Jonah fled from the presence of the Lord and got on board a ship heading for Tarshish. I can picture God saying, “So, you wanna do this the hard way,” and then hurling a mighty wind across the ocean with a flick of His finger. The storm threatened to shipwreck the ship until the crew threw Jonah overboard. The storm immediately ceased. You see Jonah was still clinging to his reputation as an accurate prophet. He knew that if Ninevah repented, God would relent from the disaster that He had declared through Jonah and that would make him look like a false prophet. Jonah’s reputation was still more important to him than obeying God.

Sometimes we too choose to do things the hard way and God has to ‘motivate’ us to forsake everything for Him and Him alone. It seems painful when it happens, but it is actually an act of God’s merciful love. He disciplines His sons and daughters because He loves us. He wants all of us. He wants to be our ‘one thing’. He does not want to see us settle for anything less than the best.

Why not choose the easy way and take our own ship and run it aground ourselves? Choose to kill the life that we want and give God a blank slate to give us the life that He wants for us in Christ Jesus!

Warning: Beware of offence. Sometimes we take offence at the way God does things. Sometimes we do not see His discipline as a loving act. That’s what happened to Jonah and let’s be honest, it can be a natural reaction. Getting offended is not a problem but holding onto offence and turning away from God is. A heart that harbours offence will stop us dead in our tracks and keep us from going forward with God. Instead, let us take our emotions, hurts and doubts to God. Tell Him you are angry with Him. Ask Him why; why you, why now, why this. Wrestle in that painful place with Him until the day breaks. Be totally honest with how you feel but also be committed to working the issue through with God. Don’t run from the pain or from Him. Take it from somebody who’s been there, there is great wisdom and a deeper walk with God on the other side.

Points to pray/journal:

• Holy Spirit, show me any areas of offence in my heart.

• Lord I repent of any areas that I have fought against Your perfect will for my life. Please give me a heart that is soft and pliable in Your hands.

Declarations:

• I will not despise Your discipline Lord! You are a good Father!

• I will walk into everything that You have for me Father! May Your perfect will be done in my life!