The Call We Don’t Want To Answer

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Where—or what—is your Nineveh?
Where is God calling you?
Are you deliberately saying no?
Is your allegiance tied to something—or someone—else?

Jonah was a true believer. Up to the moment God called him to go to Nineveh, he had followed faithfully—in his life, his work, and his actions. But this? This was too much.

Jonah was deeply loyal to his country. He was willing to do and say whatever God asked…as long as it aligned with his own thinking.

But God said, Go to Nineveh.

In Jonah’s mind, there were already others—like Amos and Hosea—doing God’s work. Why send him somewhere so far outside his comfort zone? Surely someone else could go.

And we know how the rest of Jonah’s story unfolds…But what about our story?

What is God asking of us that we’re resisting? Where are we saying, “Lord, surely someone else would be better for this”?

Here’s the truth: God will accomplish His purposes. The question is—will we be part of it?

Will we miss the blessing of obedience because the calling feels too big, too uncomfortable, or too far outside our plans?

Look at Proverbs 3:5–6. When we trust in the Lord and honor Him in all our ways, He directs our paths. He never calls us to something beyond His ability to sustain—but He does call us to know Him, trust Him, and follow through.

Abba, Father, Creator of all this is, was, and is to come, give me an all-consuming desire to know Your Word so well that in every situation I recognize the path You’ve set before me. Lord, give me the courage to walk the path You’ve laid before me, even when it feels uncomfortable, unfamiliar, or too great for me. Help me to trust You fully, to lay aside my own plans. Give me the courage to say YES—no matter where my Ninevah is. Hear my prayer in Jesus’ holy name.

This blog was first published on 9,21,2011 as Ninevah or Bust.

Decisions

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It is of great importance that we memorize His Word. When we do that, we are imprinting the things we need for life into our brains. It brings us closer to God. It protects us from sin. It helps us encourage others.

There’s more to memorizing the Word than repeating it over and over until it is firmly branded on our minds. We need to be meditating on it, discovering it’s meaning, and becoming aware of how it applies to our lives. (Psalm 119:11, Joshua 1:8, Colossians 3:16)

This morning, I was doing that with Psalm 119:133. God had put it in my mind while I was falling asleep last night, and I woke up thinking about it. (Has he done that with you, too?) I think He wanted me to discover this truth: If His word is not part of our decisions, then the choice we’re making is not in line with what He has purposed for our lives.

Let me tell you, I was ‘blown away’ with that thought. How many times have I simply made a decision instead of letting His Words guide me? How many times have you done that? Many times the consequences have been good, but sometimes…

That’s why we must have His Word planted deeply in our hearts, minds, and souls. Making decisions based on His Word keeps us on solid ground.

Abba, Father, open our hearts to Your Word. Give us a great desire to know it so well that each time we face a decision, we can call a verse to mind that applies to it.

The Haiku above and this post are being shared with other bloggers at Five Minute Friday.

Harmony

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What is your attitude when you gather for worship on Sunday morning with your fellowship of believers?

Is your heart full of love and joy? Are you excited about the prospect of a glorious morning of worship with those you love?

If I’m honest, my attitude can range from the worst to the best kind of worship experience. My worst happens when I start letting an ‘all about me’ attitude take over. My best happens when I feel the harmony that is evident among these people I’ve grown to love.

But this harmony doesn’t just happen. Our harmony, like any well-written piece of music, happens when each part understands its place. We belong to Him–and we belong to each other.

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:12-14:

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another… And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

When unity and harmony come together, and we join in worship, something shifts. The atmosphere changes. Worship was never meant to center on me–it was, and is, always meant to glorify Him.

When God is the focus of worship, everything harmonizes.

This post is part of a flash mob of writers who write for 5 minutes each Friday on a word given each Friday by Kate Moutaung at Five Minute Friday. Come join us and see what others have written.

A No Contest Case–Already Decided

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An unexpected courtroom lesson during Bible study reminded me just how complete Christ’s forgiveness really is.

It is always my pleasure to be on the learning side of a class. One of the blessings of our Sunday morning Bible study is having a wonderful co-teacher who shares the teaching responsibilities. I truly enjoy those mornings because they give me the opportunity to learn from someone else.

This past week, we were studying our sinful nature in Romans 7, and during the discussion, we found ourselves following the trail of something unexpected—a “no contest” plea.

As I understand it, a “no contest” plea means a person does not argue the charges but simply allows the judge to decide the case. If the case is later appealed, the next judge will usually honor the original judge’s ruling.

As the class discussed this idea, a thought occurred to me. The concept offers an interesting picture of our own judgment. One day, we will leave this world and stand before the One and Only God—the Judge of all that was, is, and is to come. Our Counselor, Jesus Christ, will stand beside us. When the charges are brought, He will remind the court that this case has already been settled. The penalty was paid and the judgment satisfied at the cross.

That forgiveness, however, does not give us permission to deliberately break God’s commands. Instead, it should deepen our desire to follow Him closely. When we walk with Him daily, we become more aware of the Spirit—the Counselor within us—who guides and advises us. When we ignore that voice and choose what we know will displease Him, we miss the great blessing that comes through obedience and the growth of holiness of heart and life—the very struggle Paul describes in Romans 7.

Edited and rewritten 3/7/2026. No Contest originally posted on 10/10/2011

Dining Room Theology #1 GATHERING

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Welcome to Dining Room Theology — where the coffee is strong, the Bibles are open, the conversation is lively, and apparently even the cat prays.

Our little group (the Spirit Sisters) gathers around the dining room table each week to study God’s Word, ask hard questions, laugh a lot, and encourage one another in faith.

Tonight, Chewy decided he would lead the closing prayer.

“Amen.” 😄

I’ve been having some fun and relaxing time with my AI program, and it created these cartoons of our Bible study. I hope you enjoy them! Laughter is good for all of us.

Yes, Chewy joins the Spirit Sisters regularly—every Monday, in fact. He seems to think he’s an official member of the group.

We go live every Monday evening on Facebook. Just head over, follow my page, and it will pop up in your Reels when we start.

Right now we’re live at 5:30 PM EST, but soon we’ll be moving to 6:30 PM.

Come join the conversation… and the cat.

Blessings to you and yours!

Marie