YMI Reading Jonah Day 2: When We Think We Know Better

Years ago, I went on an exchange programme in a foreign country. The goal was simple: Study, gain cultural experience, and go home. That was easy to do—at first. Then, I met a guy.

From the start I heard God speaking loud and clear—“Don’t. He is not for you.” But I didn’t listen. I was tired of waiting for “the right one”. I wanted to do things my way. 

Obedience sounds unpalatable in a world that glorifies “You do you” and “Follow your heart”. But as the book of Jonah shows us, no matter which era we live in, God expects obedience from us. 

As a prophet, Jonah was used to being sent out by God, and he would’ve understood what that entailed. But when God tells him to go to Nineveh to declare judgement and call for repentance (Jonah 1:1-3), Jonah decides that this mission isn’t for him. He then jumps on a ship travelling in the opposite direction, to what was then known to Israel as the farthest part of the world. 

Even though he couldn’t escape God’s omnipresence, Jonah hoped to escape God’s calling and influence over his life, thinking that running away might dissuade God from assigning him this difficult task again.

It’s easy to mock Jonah’s flighty character and rashness. But if we’re honest, Jonah is a fitting reflection of us. 

Not all of us are called to pronounce God’s judgement, but following Jesus does sometimes involve doing hard things or obeying hard commands. Yet how many times have we run away from God?

Jonah rejected God’s commission because he thought it inconceivable that God should forgive the Assyrians, one of Israel’s greatest enemies (Jonah 4:2-3). He believed he knew better. 

We too easily believe we know better than God. It shows in the decisions we make, whether it’s choosing to be in a wrong relationship, or in daily choices such as chasing material gain or refusing to forgive someone.

The good news is, this is not the end of the story. Stubborn Jonah runs away, but God in His grace doesn’t let him be. He pursues him. And in the same way, God didn’t leave us in our disobedience. He pursued us, most especially through the extraordinary event of the Cross. 

Obeying doesn’t come naturally to us and feels hard to do, but we’re not called to obey just any person. The Person we are called to obey is the good Father whose all-knowing wisdom is “pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

I learned this firsthand with that selfish relationship. Through God’s gentle persistence, I eventually ended it. It was hard, but as I learned to surrender to God’s wisdom, I began to see more of His goodness again.

When we struggle to obey God amid upsetting circumstances, we need to go back and let His word remind us of His character. Scripture assures us that God is infinitely wiser than we are, and His goodness is unwavering. 

May the story of Jonah continue to be a familiar one to us. Only this time, may it reinforce the goodness of God such that it spurs us to obedience. Maybe we’re determining the next course of action in a relationship or at work. Maybe God is convicting us about an unhealthy habit. Or maybe we simply need the reminder to walk faithfully with Him daily. Wherever we are in life, may we choose to follow God and do as the old hymn says —“Trust and obey”.

— Charmain Sim, Malaysia

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