Reflect and Move Forward

• Scripture: Jonah 2-3

1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, 2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. 3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. 5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. 6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God. 7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. 8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. 10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. 3 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. 3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. 4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. 5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. 6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

• Key points to consider:
  • Take time to step back and reflect on what you have accomplished and the challenges you faced along the way. You are encouraged to write this down in a journal.
  • Did your accomplishments outweigh the challenges? If not, reflect on ways you can maneuver through challenges so that you may be able to move forward in a better way.
  • You do not always have to move at the same pace you think will get you to your goals fastest. Just keep going.

Assignment:

List 3-4 strengths God has given you to fulfill your purpose. What do you know you are capable of doing to accomplish God’s purpose for your life?

As you work toward actualizing your purpose, think about the areas of your life that you may need to work on in order to walk in what God has destined for you to do and be. What might you need to focus on in order to tap into your purpose

What are some consequences of working and walking toward your purpose? In like manner, what may be consequences of not working toward your purpose?

Reflect on and document your progress to fulfilling your purpose. Distinguish your short-term and long-term purpose goals and write down your accomplishments and challenges so that you know what you need to work on and move toward

Incorporate a specific petition regarding your purpose in your personal prayer time. What are you asking God to help you with? What are you thanking God for?