63. Let Them Go. Jonah 1:12.

Most of us have people in our lives who shouldn’t be there. It’s a mistake to cling to someone when God is telling you to let them go. Until you obey God, the storm you are in will keep getting worse, as in the case of Jonah. The Bible says; “The sea was getting more tempestuous. And Jonah said to them ‘Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know...This great tempest is because of me’ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous...Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, Oh Lord, please don’t let us perish for this man’s life and do not charge us with innocent blood, for You, Oh Lord, have done as it pleases You.” So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Just as He had a plan for Jonah,God has a plan for the Jonah’s you’re dealing with, and it just may require them to hit rock bottom before they are raised up again. And as long as you keep trying to rescue them, God’s plan is being thwarted and or delayed Jonah’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t love God, but, that he didn’t trust God enough and therefore didn’t want to carry out His will. Sometimes God’s will for us is hard to understand, and even harder to do, but, God stretches our commitment, love and trust; to test our true reliance on Him, Didn’t He do the same with Abraham and his son Isaac?. We have to learn, God’s will takes priority over our plans and wishes, even if He has to resort to extreme measures to get man’s attention and push him towards his destiny as in the case of Jonah, so that the city of Nineveh could be saved. You have no idea what God has in mind for the person God is asking you to let go of. If they are one of His redeemed children, He wants to prosper them, (see 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...” That’s why He wants to save them – so let them go. There are people in life we get along with well, and other people we don’t. And in some cases we are not supposed to! Now, let’s be clear; we are not talking about being unloving, insensitive or divisive. Paul says “Do all that you can to live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18) We are talking about people who God specifically tells us to brake away from. When it comes to those who don’t belong in your life, here are two things to consider. (First), there’s the revelation. The Bible says,”They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us...If they had...they would have remained...but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John, 2;19) Just like you can’t fit a square peg in a round hole, or mix oil and water, there are people who simply don’t belong in your life. (Second). There’s the separation: Paul said, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers... What fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the Temple of The Living God. As God has said “I will live with them...walk among them..I will be their God and they will be my people.” Therefore, come out from them and be separate...And I will receive you”… “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). So spend time with God and use some of that time to sit quietly in His presence and listen. He will speak, through His Word, or another Christian or something you happen to read and sometimes just a small voice in your head, or perhaps a dream or a vision. And when He tells you a relationship is not right for you whether Business, social, financial or romantic listen and obey. He knows what’s best for all concerned and in every circumstance. Thank you for reading my thoughts on letting go and trusting God. He really does take care of things when we let Him. God Bless Phaline