God’s got a way of getting you where your going so that you you can be all you were created can be!

“The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.” But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from The LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from The LORD by sailing to Tarshish. But The LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.” Jonah 1:1-4 NLT.

Going Against His Purpose

Now Jonah had The Word of The LORD to go to Nineveh, but Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction.

He went to the port of Joppa to get on a boat to Tarshish which means “A Stone”, or opposite.

You see, he was going to a place where he was about to end up with a “stony heart”, because every time we choose to go in the opposite direction, away from where God has told us to go, then our heart becomes more stony!

See, Tarshish was in the complete opposite direction. Why did Johan go there? It was because he thought he knew what would be better for His life than God did.

It is funny that the very name of Jonah in the Hebrew means “a dove”, which is the very sign of The Holy Spirit.

So Jonah was truly going against the leadership of The Holy Spirit which was what he was created to be an example of to the world.

When I Was in Disobedience

Many years ago, I was at a Church that my heart and head had been consumed with, and that I dearly loved.

God was dealing with me about leaving. He took me in a Vision and showed me the walls falling out flat from it and said to me, “See, this is not the Church — but this out here is My Church and you were called to The Body of Christ as a whole.”

My heart was broken and at first I did not obey. Suddenly my life was thrust into a situation where I basically had to leave, and it was so much harder to get back on the trail and it took me a few years to get there.

Trust me, it is better to obey in the first place!

It may seem like a loss to you in the beginning, but in obedience you will gain so much more. Truly many times what looks like demotion ends up being a promotion for obedience always brings promotion and bears much fruit.

I heard The LORD saying that there are many who are out there, and you have heard The LORD say “Go in this direction or that….,” but you did not trust that The LORD would take care of you, and suddenly circumstances came around you like a whirlwind and the whirlwind took you where you did not want to go.

Now, all at once, it seems that you feel that you cannot hear The LORD, but I hear Him saying to many, “Go back to the place where I spoke to you in the beginning, and seek My Face and Repent for not trusting Me.

Then begin to do what I told you to do in the beginning, and go where I told you to go, and then your heart of stone will be broken up for Me to plant into once again!

Watch, as you turn at My Correction, and see that I will pour out My Spirit once again to you, and lead you down the path that will bring a flourishing to you and to your children.

Let not your heart be troubled, because I have seen you on the wrong trail, and some of what is going on in your life, is Me trying to bring you back to My Purposes and My Plans, for they have always been for good and not for evil, Plans to prosper you and give you a great harvest!

So My Child, go now and do your first works. Love Me — and in loving Me, understand that you can trust My Plans for you and I will provide in the land of your purpose and will protect you from all who would detour you and harm you!

It is here that your discernment will be sharpened and your gifts will be added to. You will have all of your weapons sharpened here and in that you will know who your enemy is, and how to win over him.

It is here where you will once again hear My voice clearly. I AM a God of the second and third and fourth chance and I forgive seventy times seven (70x).

Why do I forgive? So that you can fulfill your Destiny and be all you can be in your calling!

As you do this and trust Me once again with your life, (and for many it is a deeper level of trust and surrender), then I will cause all that you do to once again prosper, and your health will spring forth, and so shall your life be like a free-flowing river, to all those who will come into your life.

Then you will be blessed to be once again a blessing to all who encounter you!”

Jonah : Strong’s H3124 : יוֹנָה, yônâh, yo-naw’, The same as H3123; Jonah, an Israelite: – Jonah.
Strong’s H3123 : יונה, yônâh : Definition: dove, pigeon : Part of Speech: noun feminine.

Tarshish : Strong’s H8659 : תּרשׁישׁ, tarshı̂ysh : Definition: Tarshish or Tharshish = “yellow jasper”
1) son of Javan (noun proper masculine)
2) a Benjamite, son of Bilhan (noun proper masculine)
3) one of the wise men close to king Ahasuerus of Persia (noun proper masculine)
4) a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee (noun proper locative)
1a) site unknown but perhaps in Cyprus or Spain
5) a city somewhere near and accessible to the Red Sea to which ships constructed at Ezion-geber on the Elanitic Gulf on the Red Sea were to sail (noun proper locative)

 

~ by Jo Ellen Stevens
Arise Shine!

---

Jo Ellen Stevens of TCIC Ministries is a Prophetic speaker, author, worshiper and intercessor. She has ministered with her husband for 23 years and was a worship leader at the Assembly of God for many years. She is an ordained minister (Restoration Ministries) and works with Restoration Ministries in their Ministry Rooms doing prophetic worship with her husband. She has taught many bible studies and have led many intercessory prayer groups.

Back to Top