Encouragement for Today
 |
May 31, 2025 A Divine Interruption Lee en español |
“The word of the LORD came to Jonah …” Jonah 1:1 (NIV)
I couldn’t wait to spend the whole afternoon alone. My husband was mountain biking, and both of our children had plans for the day. All I could think of was spending hours by myself, no one asking for anything, no one needing me. It was going to be a glorious day!
But then my daughter came bursting through the door, saying she forgot about a school project due the next day. She needed me to take her here and rush there to purchase items to complete it. Soon it became our project.
Frustration built within me every step of the way. My words were few and short. She was interrupting my plans.
Jonah, a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel, experienced an unwelcome interruption, too, when “the word of the LORD came to Jonah” (Jonah 1:1). God interrupted Jonah’s life with a command to leave his beloved country and people to preach — not to God’s people but to one of their most hated enemies: Nineveh (Jonah 1:2-3).
God’s call would take Jonah’s life down a completely different path than he had planned. We aren’t told here how Jonah felt, but we do know he disobeyed God’s instruction by running in the opposite direction.
In that moment, Jonah could have felt angry and frustrated … the same way I did when my daughter came bursting into the house. The same way we all do when an interruption disrupts our lives — whether it be a job loss, a startling diagnosis, an unforeseen move, or a grown child coming back to live at home.
If Jonah could have seen the end of his story, he would have known the divine interruption was a beautiful invitation to be part of God’s eternal plan for His Kingdom. Eventually Jonah obeyed, and God used him to bring about the revival of an entire city (Jonah 3). Some scholars believe this was one of the greatest revivals in history!
Jonah’s story helps me redefine “interruptions.” It prompts me to examine every interruption to see if God's hand is in it … if there is an invitation to partake of something divine.
Just a few weeks ago, we took our daughter to college. I would give anything to have another interruption, to have an entire afternoon to shop with her and spend time working on a project together.
How might you see the interruptions in your life differently? Join me today in trusting God with His plan, accepting His divine invitation to experience Him in ways you may not expect. Will you yield your plan to His today?
Heavenly Father, thank You that You have a plan for my life — a plan to prosper and not to harm me, a plan to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Thank You that You allow divine interruptions in my life to draw me back into that plan. Please give me eyes to see and a heart to respond in obedience to every divine interruption. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Time always feels like the one thing we never have enough of. But maybe the answer isn’t more time … It’s being intentional with just a few minutes. A few minutes in God’s Word can refocus your heart and grow your faith. That’s why we created the First 5 app — to help you start each day with truth and peace. All it takes is one small step and five minutes to see how God can move in your life. And our new study, Rerouted: A Study of the Book of Jonah, is the perfect place to begin. So download the First 5 app today, and let’s dive in together!
ENGAGE
Connect with Wendy Blight on her website!
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (NIV).
Jonah 3:4-5, “Jonah began by going a day's journey into the city, proclaiming, ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.’ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth” (NIV).
Is there a divine interruption in your life that God is using to invite you to participate in His plan? How will you respond? Share with us in the comments!
© 2025 by Wendy Blight. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org