Climb His Hill, Not Yours

He spreads no manna for "would-be's" who drift,
His plans for them ignored and unfollowed;
Twixt them and the unsaved, there is no rift
Of provender, if His path's left hollowed!
He has a purpose for every one,
Made plain for any who ferrets it out;
To do aught else, His not even begun,
Of the offender's true faith, stokes His doubt!
You are to seek out His will, ere you ask
For Him to provide, or light the way;
Each of us must hew his appointed task,
Or risk alone, carrying the day!
Ask not for strength to labor where you will;
Be certain His is your appointed hill!

One of the best examples in the Bible of a man who was told by God to do one thing but would not is Jonah. He was told to go to Nineveh and warn them their wickedness would bring destruction from God unless they repented. Instead of obeying immediately, Jonah took passage on a boat headed for the opposite end of the Mediterranean from Nineveh. God brought a great storm upon the boat; it got so fierce that the sailors agreed to throw Jonah overboard. God had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he stayed in the belly of the fish 3 days and nights. Then Jonah was vomited upon the shore near Nineveh.

Running from God always leads to disaster. God calls lost people sometimes to do a job for Him, like Saul on the road to Damascus. He also appoints born-again Christians to particular places of service. It is always best to follow His commission for you.

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.'" (Jonah 3:12)

Jonah knew better than to disobey God a second time. By his preaching Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and the city was not destroyed. Jonah was not finished being stubborn; when it was not destroyed he grew angry at God and sulled under a gourd bush. Eventually he learned his lesson. God had had a little too much stubborness from this Jew. The lesson for us is to realize that if we serve God, He has a will for us, and it is our duty to discover it and then to carry it out. Sometimes He wants us to go elsewhere, and sometimes it is to stay where we are. Even lost people, like Saul, are tapped for particular service.