Sometimes even believers struggle with obedience. The story of Jonah warns us of what happens to our heart when we persist in rebellion. We become angry with God, increasingly blind to the providential trials He uses to get our attention, and we pursue a downward path of sin that leads to danger and destruction. God called Jonah to preach to the hated Assyrians, but instead Jonah ran and even endangered the lives of others before he finally relented. Just as with Jonah, God will accomplish His sovereign will in our lives even though we may initially resist. In such times, God’s mercy and grace may seem severe or even unkind, but in reality He is protecting us from even greater harm. What about you? Are you like Jonah, stubbornly seeking your own way instead of trusting in God’s wisdom and power, even in the face of His chastening? Or are you like the sailors who recognized the sovereign hand of God and cried out for mercy? God uses trials for our instruction. Cultivate a heart that is eager to learn.