“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah…” (Jonah 1:1)
What’s Your Word?
What word has the Lord given you? What has He placed on the inside of you that keeps playing on repeat, like it’s engraved on your heart and your desires? What’s that place for you?
For me, it’s always been writing.
Writing shows up in every season of my life. In many ways, it’s a part of who I am. I believe writing is one of those words the Lord has given me. It’s like is engraved in my heart and my DNA. Words matter to me. The structure of a sentence matters to me. How we put them together sparks something in me. Storytelling matters, and ultimately, I believe it always will.
I can trace the first time I ever wrote a story, I was a young girl, and I remember making a whole book out of white paper and a stapling machine. I come from a small family, a family that didn’t always know all of what was possible or what could be offered. That dream wasn’t cultivated. And because of that, writing has felt like an unrealistic dream I’m chasing, always just out of reach. One I’m not good enough to reach.
So, instead, I fell into the trap of doing what felt safe and comfortable.
Jonah’s Flight
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come before me. But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” (Jonah 1:2-3)
In the book of Jonah, we see Jonah receive a word from the Lord, and he flees from that word, and from the presence of God. Verse 5 tells us Jonah “had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep.”
Jonah was comfortable in his disobedience. He was fast asleep.
This shows us that our disobedience doesn’t only impact us. It impacts the people around us too. In other words, Jonah’s disobedience didn’t just create hardship for himself it created hardship for everyone around him, too.
Because of Jonah chose to run from God, a great wind came upon the sea, and the people on that ship were terrified. They began throwing their cargo overboard, all because Jonah was running.
His disobedience caused hardship and impact to everyone around him.
Eventually, Jonah is thrown off the ship and swallowed by a great fish. And he was there three days and three nights, and it’s from the belly of that fish that Jonah finally prayed to the Lord.
Comfortable in Disobedience
Here’s what I learned from this. Jonah comes to a place of surrender in the belly of the fish. He calls upon the Lord. He remembers the Lord, and he returns to Him.
And this is where we see the second chance.
Yet, God did not change His word. Nor did He change His assignment for Jonah. Instead, He simply gave Jonah another opportunity to obey it.
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…” (Jonah 3:1)
Same message. “Arise. Go. Call out.”
The Second Chance
Here is what I noticed, God gave Jonah a second chance, and I believe He’s giving us one too.
Undoubtedly, every single day is another opportunity to return to Him, to seek Him, to receive His mercy, love, and kindness, and to walk in the fullness of what He’s already planned for us.
God has an assignment and a plan for your life. He sees the whole picture, the parts you can’t see yet and He knows exactly where He is leading you. That’s why he will often attack your greatest potential, trying to convince you to shrink back from what God has placed inside of you.
So, don’t settle for what’s safe, what’s familiar, or what’s comfortable. Instead, do the thing that feels uncomfortable. Dream the thing that seems impossible to the natural eye.
Arise. Get Up. Go.
What is the word the Lord has given you?
Arise. Get up. Go. Take baby steps toward it. Call out. Execute. Be obedient. Put it out into the world.
Arise can be understood as waking from a lower position, standing up with new strength.
Get up is about getting your feet on the floor, not just opening your eyes. It’s about obedience.
Go can be understood as wherever you go, take heed, and follow.
Life in God Resources
The Abide Letters are mailed quarterly straight to your door. We don’t start our year on January 1st. Life in God’s new year begins on June 10th, the day our business story began. Below, you’ll find our four-quarter breakdown. Subscription follows our seasonal mailing schedule. Everyone will be billed once every 3 months on the same date the Abide Letters are sent out. Cancel anytime before your next billing date.
Sign Up Here – The Abide Letter
New Digital Study Guide For You – Living from God’s Presence
What if God’s presence isn’t just a place you visit, but the very source you live from?
What if intimacy with Him could move beyond quiet time into every conversation, every decision, every moment of your life?
Maybe you’ve asked yourself:
- Why do I feel close to God in prayer, but distant during the rest of my day?
- How do I carry His presence into my work, family, and everyday life?
- Is it really possible to live in constant awareness of Him?
Living From God’s Presence was written for this exact question. This 40+ page devotional guide is an invitation to move beyond religion into relationship, where His presence doesn’t stay in your prayer closet but flows into your real, daily life.
Begin the journey today, buy the guide today for $9.99 when you use CODE: PRESENCE.
Inside the guide, we walk through:
- What it means to live from His presence, not just in it
- How intimacy with God transforms your thinking, relationships, and habits
- Practical ways to prioritize His presence in ordinary, everyday moments
- The freedom of shifting from striving to Spirit-led living
- This isn’t about adding more to your to-do list.
It’s about learning to abide—so that His presence becomes your lifestyle.
Whether you feel stuck in routine, weary from striving, or hungry for more of God, this guide was written to help you encounter Him in a way that overflows into every area of your life.
👉 Ready to take the next step?
Purchase your copy of the Living From God’s Presence E-Guide today. Use Code: PRESENCE and get your copy for $9.99.
Let this be the moment you stop just believing in God and start living from Him.
Another Study Guide – Surrender In God’s Presence
Do you need to release control, reconnect with God, and begin living from God’s presence daily? Start with Surrendering in His Presence. Purchase your copy today of Surrender In God’s Presence E-Guide today for $9.99.
Don’t Forget To Subscribe
✨ If this encouraged you today, subscribe below to receive weekly encouragement, resources, and blog updates straight to your inbox.
Thank You
We hope you loved exploring this topic with us. We pray it blessed you to surrender, dwell, and abide in God’s Presence. Now, it’s your turn; which question stood out most to you? Which one will you ask someone today? Drop a comment below, and let’s keep the conversation going! We can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Stay Connected: Subscribe today and Join Our Weekly Newsletter. Don’t miss a blog, which is released every Tuesday at 10am (CST).
If you’re new here or just catching up, we’ve covered so many topics that will encourage your walk with God. You can browse all of our previous posts right here — there’s something for every season. Check out all blogs →
This blog was about The Word He Gave You and I pray it’s only confirmation to the reminder of what He’s doing into you.