23/07/2026
Jonah 1 (Perfect Will)
Romans 12:2b… GOOD and ACCEPTABLE (FULLY APPROVED) and PERFECT WILL OF GOD. Psalm 143:10… Teach ME (KING DAVID) to do YOUR WILL (GOD’S WILL), for You are MY GOD; Your SPIRIT (GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT) is good. LEAD ME in the land of UPRIGHTNESS.
1. KING DAVID had a clear revelation of beauty of following GOD’S WILL and GOD’S WILL is;
a. GOOD.
b. FULLY APPROVED.
c. PERFECT (UNCHANGEABLE).
2. Like KING DAVID, whenever we pray;
a. We are NOT praying for God’s Will to change.
b. We are praying for OUR WILL to come into alignment with God’s Will.
3. KING DAVID prayed for GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT to;
a. Teach HIM to do GOD’S WILL.
b. LEAD HIM into GOD’S WILL.
… for he believes that the WILL OF GOD will bring him into UPRIGHTNESS.
Jonah 1:1… Now the WORD OF THE LORD came to JONAH the son of Amittai, SAYING.
1. No way will we ever know the WILL OF GOD without knowing the WORD OF THE LORD.
2. The WORD OF THE LORD is;
a. The VOICE of the Lord.
b. The WILL OF THE LORD.
3. Just as God revealed HIS WILL to JONAH, God is constantly trying to SAY to us what is HIS WILL for our lives in our Life Journey if we take time to listen.
Matthew 22:14… “For many are CALLED, but few are CHOSEN.” Jonah 1:2… “ARISE, GO to NINEVEH, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
1. Every human is CALLED to do the WILL OF GOD.
2. Every Believer is CHOSEN to do the WILL OF GOD with the help of God the Holy Spirit who dwells inside of us.
3. Sometimes the WILL OF GOD is for us to ARISE and GO to NINEVEH which could refer to;
a. Going to a PLACE we rather not go.
b. Doing SOMETHING that we do not wish to do.
Jonah 1:3a… BUT JONAH arose to FLEE to TARSHISH from the presence of the LORD. 1 John 5:14… Now this is the confidence that we have in HIM (GOD), that if we ASK (PRAY) anything ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARS US.
1. The WILL OF GOD may or MAY NOT be appealing to us as NINEVEH was not appealing to JONAH.
2. NINEVEH is a picture of GOD’S WILL that is UNAPPEALING to us while TARSHISH is a picture of the opposite of GOD’S WILL.
3. Instead of running away from our NINEVEH, and running towards our TARSHISH, we are to firmly make the decision to PRAY to GOD for;
a. Wisdom
b. Power
c. Determination
d. And everything that we need
… to go to NINEVEH and HE WILL HEAR AND RESPOND TO OUR PRAYERS because NINEVEH is HIS WILL.
Jonah 1:3b-6… He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
Jonah 1:7… And they said to one another, “Come, let us CAST LOTS (FIND OUT), that we may know for whose cause this TROUBLE has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot FELL ON JONAH.
1. At the end of the day each and everyone of us will be FOUND OUT if we are living our lives flowing with GOD’S WILL or if we are not for there is nothing that we can hide from Heavenly Papa.
2. Also, as a Child of God if we insist on going our way instead of being attentive to GOD’S WILL, we are asking for TROUBLE for ourselves.
3. And when TROUBLE FALL ON US, let us not blame God or anyone but our own foolishness.
Jonah 1:8-11… Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” 9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
Jonah 1:12… And HE (JONAH) said to them, “Pick me up and THROW ME INTO THE SEA (KILL ME); then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this GREAT TEMPEST (STORM/MESS) is BECAUSE OF ME.”
1. God allowed JONAH to be in a GREAT MESS for choosing to go against HIS PERFECT WILL.
2. The goal of God’s GREAT MESS was to DISCIPLINE (not PUNISH) Jonah so to bring him into REPENTANCE.
3. Yet instead of REPENTING from not flowing with GOD’S WILL, Jonah chose DEATH/TO GIVE UP.
Jonah 1:13-16… Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, “We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.
1 Samuel 15:29… “And also the STRENGTH OF ISRAEL (GOD) will not lie nor RELENT (CHANGE HIS MIND). For He is not a man, that He should RELENT.” Jonah 1:17… Now the LORD had prepared a GREAT FISH TO SWALLOW JONAH. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
1. At the end of the day God will NOT CHANGE HIS MIND about HIS WILL for GOD’S WILL is;
a. GOOD.
b. FULLY APPROVED.
c. PERFECT.
2. To cause a GREAT FISH TO SWALLOW JONAH speaks of God doing everything and anything for HIS WILL to come to past for He will not relent.
3. Today is the day of repentance and making a firm decision to stop running;
a. Away from NINEVEH.
b. Towards TARSHISH.