The Rooster and Jonah

We have a rooster now.  He’s young and just growing into his cock-a-doodle-doo.  He came to our home just a few days ago.  Emily inadvertently had a few too many roosters hanging around and since Peyton wanted to integrate a rooster into her flock, we got Squirrel, a tiny Bantam rooster. 

What we learned in the first day of receiving him is that he’s…lively.  Peyton had him separate from the hens but in the same chicken coop.   It’s an eight-foot-tall enclosure that ensures everyone has plenty of room.  Off Peyton went in the morning to get him out of his carrier when he decided to show her that he could fly.  Right out of the coop!  That teeny tiny bird flew right over the enclosure and wouldn’t get near Peyton again.  To make it even more comical, Squirrel flew up to a power line and hung out there all night! 

Even though that was his new home and he needed to integrate with the flock, he wanted nothing to do with the coop.  It wasn’t where he wanted to be.  But it’s where he needed to be.

Jonah was the same way.  The Lord told Jonah to go to Ninevah to preach to the city because of its abhorrent behavior.  They were desperately wicked.  But Jonah wanted none of it.  The man ran for a ship going to Tarshish instead.  Think about that; Jonah tried to outrun God’s calling.  When he was on the ship, it was involved in a great storm.  Jonah knew exactly why and when given the decision on what the shipmates needed to do to calm the storm, he told them to throw him into the sea.

The bible goes on to say that Jonah was swallowed by a great fish and was inside the belly for three days and nights.  When Jonah repented, the fish spit him onto dry land and he went to the city of Ninevah, preaching to them and giving them the message received from God.  Thankfully, the Ninevites repented of their sins and the Lord spared them.

We have the same tendencies at times that both Squirrel and Jonah have.  We’re not wanting to be where we are supposed to be.  Often, we second guess what God has planned for us and decide we’d rather do what we want to do.  Perhaps we think it’s only a slight veer off course.  Or maybe we just don’t feel like stepping out of the world’s embrace.  We enjoy where we’re at because it’s comfortable and it’s known.

We need to remember, however, that we must obey the will of God.  No matter how scary it may be or unknown the circumstances are, God would have us obey Him and follow His direction.  He leads us; we don’t lead Him!  Everything we do should bring glory to our Father in Heaven, and obeying His will ensures exactly that.  We bring glory to Him in our faithfulness through obedience.

I encourage you follow God’s instructions for your life.  Perhaps you are being led to give up something or witness to someone.  Maybe He’s telling you to teach a Bible study.  He might even be calling you to the mission field.  Spend some time reading, studying, and listening to God’s Word to know where He would have you be today, tomorrow, and always!

~Erin