The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Hebrews 7:11-19 // Psalm 115

“So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the Word of the Lord.”
Jonah 3:3

Jonah’s Response

Jonah and many others suffered much as a result of his disobedience to God’s first call to service. But this time, Jonah arose and went to do what the Lord commanded. Obedience to the Word and Will of God is a wonderful thing and produces peace. Many examples of this are found in the Bible. Noah did all that God commanded him. Abraham, when the Lord called him to leave home to go to an undisclosed land – to become the father of the Lord’s chosen people – “went, as the Lord had told him” [Genesis 12:4]. Our Lord Himself, “although he was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered.” [Hebrews 5:8].
Why did Jonah insist on learning obedience to God the hard way? For the same reason that we react similarly to God’s Word: we know better. We find it so difficult to submit to authority; we want to do things our own way. Jonah learned by bitter experience that God’s way in the only way. May we be as fortunate in learning this fact. In the meantime, let us be grateful that Jesus, who learned to be obedient, took our sins of disobedience with Him to the cross, so that now we are forgiven for all our sin.

Blessed Lord Jesus, give us the grace of obedience to You and all rightful authority. Amen.

June 14, 1974