I ALMOST PLAYED A JONAH ON GOD

You know the story of Jonah? I believe you do. Even children love that story. In a nutshell, God sent Jonah to Nineveh but he boarded a ship to Tarshish.

I almost played a Jonah on God. After marriage, life became harder than it was before I got married. Before the end of the month myself and wife had deficits in our account.

Though I was managing the family's business for my parent and still do when I'm not on the field. However, my income wasn't just enough for me, wife and our little son. As at then, we spent so much on baby food.

Those early years were years of struggling I must say. I masked my pains and struggles wearing suit and smiling hard. I made up my mind that I won't abandon ministry but I'll change location.

My plan was to travel out and do ministry in any country I relocate to. I thought to myself that the easiest route to travel was to apply for a masters program.

I sent my application to several schools in different countries for scholarship. I remember doing an interview with an Australian university. My interviewer was impressed with my performance and she promised to get back.

The last I heard from her was that I wasn't considered for the scholarship opening. I pressed harder and I discovered free tuition universities in Europe. Eventually, I applied to a school in Germany.Alas! I was given admission.

I began to prepare for my exit. I called the ministry board members to a meeting and told them about my plans to relocate. I shared details of my admission with them and told them I'm not abandoning the ministry just that I'll be operating from another country and continent.

I noticed they were downcast. The meeting ended soberly and the way they left my house wasn't so cheerful but I focused on my trip to Germany. In fact, I've planned how I'll do my PhD after the masters so that I can better my lot.

All through this period, I didn't ask God If I should go or not. I use to believe that God's will can be known while on a process or through the outcome. Sometimes it is true but it is better to know God's mind before starting anything.

That the outcome of a thing is favourable doesn't necessarily mean it is God's will. We walk with God through the knowledge of His will per time not by trial and error.

Back to my story. As I planned to travel, I received an email from the German consulate that there were no available dates for visa application for winter semester of that session. It sounded unreal because all my application were done at the right time.

The school kept sending an arrival deadline message to me but the embassy refused to treat my application. In fact, I went to the embassy myself and was told visa applications were on hold that period.

It was a heartbreaking experience for me. I just couldn't imagine continuing life the way I was living it at that time. Not long after, a man of God I met through my elder called to tell me that God said I should stay where I am.

That was it. I didn't inform this man about my plans. All along, God knew and saw all I was doing and He knew I wanted to play a Jonah. To be sincere, I knew deep within that I was taking a wrong step but I ignored all warning signs. In retrospect, I thank God

Dear minister, stay where God has placed you for ministry. Go where He sends. Going to popular places where everyone is going may just be another Tarshish in your destiny walk

God sends us to places where He needs us to fulfill our assignment not necessarily where everyone think we should be. Don't be deceived by those telling you your ministry may have become bigger and better If you were in XYZ state or country.

John the Baptist had his ministry headquarters in the wilderness not Jerusalem yet the whole nation of Israel went to him.

Every assignment has a location for execution. Your allocation for the execution of your assignment will only find you in the location God has predestined for you.

If Jonah had preached his sermon in Tarshish, his name and the impact of his ministry may not be on record. Why? He wasn't sent there. You can't be preaching the right message in the wrong place to the wrong people and be impactful. It is impossible.

Jonah's message may be laced with fire and brimstone but the hay and wood needed for that message to burn in the hearts of men is not in Tarshish but in Nineveh. Little wonder why his message caused a great awakening in that land.

Don't let the quest for a good life push you out of God's will under the guise of "When I get there, I'll still do Ministry". Many who had that mentallity got the visa and green card but they lost their ministry.

There's ministry everywhere but you cannot be anywhere to do your ministry. There's a particular "somewhere" God wants you to be.

Even If God has promised to make you global, there must be a base which will serve as a launch pad for your global ministry.

If you didn't stay where your launch pad is, you will not be launched into the global space. Every attempt to fly will meet with stiff resistance.

Don't walk away from your divinely ordained place to avoid being displaced.