Friday, August 6, 2010

A Fishy Truth

It has been a while since I have posted anything on here, but that doesn't mean that God hasn't been working in my life.  Over the past couple of weeks, God has been showing me that sometimes I just need to do what I am told, not what I want to do because His ways are much better than mine.  Let me explain:

A couple of weeks ago, a situation had presented itself where I was invited to do something and I just felt this uneasy sense "Don't do it!"  It was that quiet whisper that just sits in the depths of your gut.  It wasn't a screaming 'NO!', but it was enough that I recognized that I shouldn't do it.  Long story short, I didn't listen.  In fact, I disobeyed, not once, not twice, but three times. 

At our youth group (IGNITE Student Life) we have been going through the book of Jonah for the summer.  It has been an awesome experience where the kids get to hear this fishy story from a different perspective.  The leadership have been asking them to put themselves in Jonah's shoes.  What was it like for him?  What was he going through?  Little did I know that I was about to put myself in his shoes.

You see, as I disobeyed, I felt a lot like Jonah as was sinking to the bottom of the ocean.  The seaweed was wrapping around him and sucking him to the bottom never to be heard of again.  I was in my own ocean where I was wondering where the exit was.  I was wondering if I was going to be saved by the big fish or was I just going to come to my demise at the bottom.  My disobedience (sin) had left me in a state of confusion.  But last Saturday night, God woke me up from a nightmare that caused me to repent of my sin.  I knew I was wrong and I knew I had to make things right.  God used the dream to be like Jonah's fish.

How many times do we go the wrong way?  The beauty of the story is that God is with us all the way through.  Even in my disobedience, God was still with me and still reaching out to me.  He was still making a way out.  God is with you no matter what you are going through.  No matter how much you have messed up.  No matter how wrong things are going for you!  Know that God is with you and He will never leave you or forsake you!  He loves you!  Just call out to Him and repent of the sin in your life!

The confusion is gone and the road is a lot clearer.  I just pray that the next time that the small voice comes and says, "No Dean" that I will respond, "Okay Lord!  I trust you!"

1 comment:

  1. I just listened to a Andy Stanly book about that very topic. My warning sign is when I start justifying my actions...then I know I'm being disobedient. It's easy to get caught in the trap. Much harder to admit we are wrong. Thanks for being honest and encouraging us to do the same.

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