Hi church family,
Here is a short devotional encouragement for this week.
Jonah’s story reminds us that obedience is not always just about doing something difficult. Sometimes obedience means surrendering the part of us that still wants control.
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran the other way. He did not just run from a place; he ran from God’s will. Jonah’s disobedience revealed something deeper in his heart. He did not want God’s mercy to go where God was sending it.
In the belly of the fish, Jonah came to a place of surrender. He prayed, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” That is the heart of true surrender. It is when we stop fighting God and finally say, “Lord, You are right. Your way is better. Your mercy is greater than my understanding.”
Job also came to a place of humility before God. When the Lord spoke to him out of the whirlwind, Job saw the greatness and holiness of God. His response was, “I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job was not saying that he had no value before God. He was recognising that before the glory of the Lord, pride cannot stand.
This is where true obedience begins. Not with self-confidence, but with surrender. Not with “God, bless my plans,” but “Lord, have Your way in me.”
Jesus said that if anyone wants to follow Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. To follow Jesus means we must die to self: our pride, our excuses, our bitterness, our need to be in control. But this death leads to life.
And we do not surrender to a harsh Saviour. We surrender to the One who surrendered Himself for us. Jesus is the greater Jonah, who went down into death and rose again so that we could be saved. In the garden, He prayed, “Not my will, but yours, be done.” His obedience opened the way for our forgiveness, freedom, and new life.
So today, let us ask: where am I still running? What part of my heart is God asking me to surrender? The call of Jesus is not always easy, but it is always good. When we die to self, we find life in Him.
One simple step for today:
Take a quiet moment and pray, “Lord Jesus, show me one area where I am resisting You. Help me surrender it and obey You today.”
With love,
One Direction Christian Fellowship