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Word UP with Webb
Daily Devotion for Teens and Students
Word UP with Webb
Finding Purpose in the Belly of the Fish: Lessons from Jonah's Disobedience
What happens when we clearly hear God's direction but choose to go the opposite way? The story of Jonah provides a powerful mirror for our own spiritual journeys.
Most of us know about Jonah's dramatic encounter with the great fish, but today's reflection digs deeper into what it means to run from God's calling. Unlike Daniel who suffered despite his faithful obedience, Jonah created his own mess through deliberate disobedience. Yet in both scenarios, God remains faithful to those who ultimately turn to Him.
The most challenging insight from Jonah's story may be that "it's possible to run when your feet aren't moving." While we often focus on eliminating visible sins (sins of commission), we frequently overlook the things God has specifically called us to do that we're quietly avoiding (sins of omission). These silent rebellions remain hidden from others because only you know what God has personally asked of you.
Surprisingly, the belly of the fish wasn't just Jonah's punishment—it was God's classroom. Scripture says God specifically "appointed" that fish. Your lowest moments, those times when you feel trapped by circumstances of your own making, might actually be divinely appointed opportunities for transformation. The question is whether you'll see these difficult seasons as dead ends or as preparation for renewed purpose.
Wherever you find yourself today—whether faithfully following God's lead or running in the opposite direction—know that His redemptive plan is still at work. The path forward begins with honest prayer, continues through sincere repentance, and culminates in fresh commitment to follow wherever God leads. What is He calling you to do today that you've been avoiding?
Good morning guys. Welcome to Word Up on this Wednesday morning. I am so glad that you have joined us this morning for Jonah, chapter 2, verses 1 through 10. Our quiet time for today comes from one of my favorite books of the Bible, jonah. If you have not taken time to open God's Word, allow God to speak to you. Pause here, go open up Jonah 2. Read verses 1-10 and just see what God challenges you with and what he shows you through spending time in the Word with Him. Here's what I've got.
Speaker 1:Like I said, this is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love reading about Jonah because this is something that I often struggle with and that is just taking clear direction from God, not trying to negotiate it, not trying to pray my way out of it, but he has put something on my heart. Now it's time for me to just go and do it and quit going in the other direction. So, really, the question I want to ask you right out of the gate what do we do when we've messed up? What do you do when you've made a mistake? Is it possible to get in such a mess that it's impossible to get out? Guys, yesterday we looked at Daniel and we looked at you know, he was serving God. He was just being obedient to God and, because of the evil people trying to tear him down, he ends up in a lion's den. Well, here we've got Jonah, who has been called by God to do something, and he's decided to go the other direction. So kind of opposite ends of the spectrum, but we're going to see that both of them cry out to God and God is still faithful. He is still faithful to provide, no matter which. If you are the Daniel, if you've lived your life and you've gotten yourself in a mess because other people have tried to come against you, or, like Jonah, that you've truly made a mess of it. So here you know, jonah's messed up. He disobeyed God, he ran in the opposite direction. Jonah is in the mess because he ran from God. The Lord had an assignment for Jonah and his life and yet he chose to run in the opposite direction.
Speaker 1:I'm sure that all of you can relate to this and just know the same thing can and will happen to you, if it hasn't already. You know, I think about all the times that God called me to do something and I knew that that's what he was calling me to do. And yet I said well, I need to pray about that, I need to. And really all I was doing was negotiating with God. God, are you sure that's what you want me to do? If that's really what you want, I need you to open that door. I need you to make it so clear that it's obvious to everybody. That's what you want. We're negotiating with God. If you know his voice, if you're spending time with him and he's put something on your heart, just go. Go, do what he's called you to do. Quit going in the opposite direction.
Speaker 1:We may not like everything that God's word says. We may not like making time every day to be in his word. We may not like everywhere that he tells us to go. But when we don't do what he's called us to do, when we don't want to do it and we don't feel like doing it in some shape or form, we go in the opposite direction. We run away from god, just like jonah did. And do you know that it's possible to run when your feet aren't moving? Think about that. It is possible to run when your feet aren't moving.
Speaker 1:See, I think we get caught up in only addressing the sins of commission. We only want to look at the sins that we're doing doing something that you shouldn't do. We talk about that all the time. We try to eliminate the sins that are doing something that we should not do, but what about the sins of omission? What about failing to do what God wants you to do?
Speaker 1:See, that's the piece that most people can't see. Obviously, they can see the things that I'm doing, but only I know what God has called me to do, what he's put on my heart and what I've been ignoring. So, because nobody can see that in my life I can continue to run with my feet standing still, I can continue to go in the opposite direction of what God's called me to do, and nobody knows it, because I'm the only person that knows what God has asked me to do. That's another reason that our small groups and our accountability groups are so important. But now, it only works to the extent that you allow it to. When I sit down in my small groups, do I just keep all of it inside? Do I hide what God's been sharing? Or am I willing to step out there and say, hey, god has put this on my heart Because now that I've told somebody, now they can help hold me accountable and they can see whenever I'm running in the wrong direction.
Speaker 1:Where are you at today in the sins of omission Like I said, it's easy to address the ones that people can see and everybody's holding us accountable there. But where are you in the things that God's called you to do? Have you been obedient to do them, or are you like Jonah and running in the opposite direction and maybe you've created a mess in your life? Are you in the belly of the fish today? Sometimes in the belly of the fish today, you know, sometimes in the belly of the fish is the best place to learn. If you look at the story of Jonah, you'll see.
Speaker 1:In chapter one it says God appointed that fish. Jonah threw himself into the sea. God appointed the fish to swallow him up. It was God's plan that Jonah would be in that belly of the fish, that he would be in despair, that he would be in a place that he thought he could never get out of, because that's where he was able to teach him. So maybe you woke up this morning and you know that you were in the belly of the fish. You feel like you can't get any lower than you are right now. Do you see it as the end of the fish? You feel like you can't get any lower than you are right now. Do you see it as the end of the world? Or do you see it as I'm here because God is ready to teach me? He's ready to show me something. God appointed the fish and in chapter 2, verse 10, he commanded the fish to spit Jonah out. Once he knew Jonah was ready, once he knew that Jonah had had a change of heart, when Jonah truly understood what God was showing him, he commanded the fish to spit him out.
Speaker 1:If you're in the belly of the fish today, I want you to look. What has God been asking you to do? What have you been running from? And, just like Jonah chapter 2, verse 1, jonah prayed to the Lord, his God, from the belly of the fish. No matter where you are, you've got to turn back to God, seek Him, ask Him to make clear His ways for your life and make a commitment today that I'm no longer going to run in the opposite direction. I'm going to do whatever it is that you've called me to do.
Speaker 1:Who is it that he's called you to speak to? Who is it that he's called you to minister to? Who is it that he's just called you to love, to speak to? Who is it that he's called you to minister to? Who is it that he's just called you to love, to pray for? What is it that he's asked you to change about your attitude or the way that you're living your life? If you want to get out of the belly, you've got to start having a change of heart, a new found commitment to the Lord, and be willing to serve him, no matter what. I love you guys. I'll see you back here tomorrow morning.