Jonah, Calling, and God’s Plan of Redemption: How to Stop Running From Your God-Given Purpose
Have you ever felt like you love God, you believe in Jesus…
…but deep down you know you’re not fully walking in what He actually put you here to do?
You might pray, read your Bible, serve at church, maybe even lead—but still feel:
“There has to be more than this. I know I was made for something specific.”
You’re not crazy, and you’re not ungrateful.
You’re feeling the pull of purpose.
From Abraham to Jonah, from the Garden to Noah, Scripture reveals a consistent theme:
God redeems
God restores
God calls
And His people either cross over into purpose… or run from it
This blog will walk you through:
What it really means to “cross over”
God’s plan of redemption from Genesis onward
What God wants you to do in this season
Jonah as a warning and a mirror
How destiny, calling, and purpose actually work Biblically
A practical path to step into a purposeful life
By the end, you’ll be equipped—and convicted in a good way—to stop running and start walking in your God-given assignment.
What Does It Mean to “Cross Over”?
Abraham and his descendants became known as Hebrews, which points to a powerful truth:
“Hebrew” = one who has crossed over.
Abraham crossed over from:
Idolatry → to covenant
His own plans → to God’s promise
Comfort → to faith and obedience
“Crossed over” people aren’t perfect, but they:
Take God’s purpose seriously
Repent quickly when they miss it
Make things right with others
Keep coming back to God again and again
They’re not just Christian in name; they’re marked by obedience.
Jonah was a Hebrew too—one who had “crossed over.”
But instead of moving further into God’s purpose, he started stepping away from it.
And that tension?
That’s where many believers live today.
God’s Plan of Redemption and Restoration
From the beginning, God’s desire has been clear:
He wants to dwell with His people.
In the Garden of Eden, God created a sanctuary of delight and intimacy. Because of sin, man was cast out.
But instead of abandoning us, God began a redemption story:
He called a covenant people
He established His presence among them (Tabernacle, Temple)
Ultimately, He came Himself in Jesus—Immanuel, “God with us”
The Gift of Atonement
Before Jesus came, God gave Israel atonement through animal sacrifices:
Innocent blood for guilty people
A temporary covering so relationship could continue
This pointed to Jesus, whose blood:
Didn’t just cover sin temporarily
Became a once-for-all sacrifice
Provides permanent atonement and ongoing mercy for our frailty
Grace didn’t “begin” in the New Testament.
We see grace in the Garden with Adam and Eve:
They sinned
They tried to cover themselves (fig leaves = self-effort)
God clothed them with skins—an innocent life covering their shame
We see grace in Noah’s generation:
The earth was corrupt, violent, and perverted beyond repair
Yet Noah was called righteous and blameless in his generation
Not because he was perfect, but because he walked in habitual fellowship with God
In every era, God’s heart is the same:
Drawing His people out of chaos and compromise and back into covenant, purpose, and presence.
What Does God Want You to Do in This Season?
God’s calendar includes appointed times—feasts and celebrations that are more than holidays; they’re prophetic appointments.
At each one, God’s desire is that His people:
Find Him again – re-center on Him
Receive fresh revelation – new light that wasn’t there last year
Draw on new spiritual resources – grace, strength, and insight for this season
He does not want you living the same spiritual year on repeat.
Each year is a unique gift with unique potential and destiny moments.
Your Primary Assignment: Return to Your Original Purpose
At your core, your main focus as a believer is to:
Return and be reconciled to your original purpose—to walk in dominion under God’s authority.
That means:
Doing what God has set out for you to do
Walking in the specific assignments He prepared for you
Refusing to waste your gifts and life on distractions
When you don’t do this, it’s not only you who misses out.
You rob the Body of Messiah when:
You never discover your God-given purpose
You once walked in it but drifted off course
You hold others back from theirs
This is why times of repentance and soul-searching are so vital.
As you lean into God’s kairos time—His appointed, “right now” opportunities—He allows you to see more clearly what He has planned for you.
When you commit your works to the Lord, He aligns your thoughts with His will and establishes your plans (see Proverbs 16:3, 9).
His purposes for you were planned long ago and fulfilled in faithfulness and truth (see Isaiah 25:1).
How God’s Plan for You Looks: Water, Oil, and Gold
God’s purposes aren’t vague. They have fruit and texture.
Think of His plan like streams flowing from Him:
1. Water – The Word Lived Out
Water represents the Word of God manifested in your daily life
Your decisions, habits, and lifestyle begin to reflect Scripture
If a “purpose” contradicts the Word—it’s not from Him
2. Oil – Obedience to the Holy Spirit
Oil represents the anointing and leading of the Holy Spirit
God’s purpose for you is never meant to be walked out in your own strength
There will be a sense of grace, flow, and divine empowerment—even in hard things
3. Gold – Reflecting God’s Glory and Authority
Gold reflects glory, purity, and authority
As you walk in purpose, your life will increasingly reflect God’s character
People see something different in you—and are drawn to Him
Jonah – The Man Who Deviated From His God-Given Purpose
Now let’s zoom in on Jonah—because his life is a sobering picture of what it looks like to deviate from a clear God-given purpose.
This applies especially to those who:
Never truly discovered their purpose, or
Know their calling but have chosen another path
You Were Created for a Purpose
Your life is not random.
You were created so that your life and talents could be used in service to the King, making this world a place where God’s glory can be seen again.
We see this in two ways:
You can create.
What you sow—time, words, effort, creativity—can produce real harvest
You can discern.
You can distinguish good from evil, right from wrong in a way animals cannot
You are uniquely designed for Kingdom impact.
Your Purpose Is Unique
Not only are you made for purpose—you are uniquely fitted for a very specific one.
No one else has your assignment
No one else carries your exact combination of gifts, experiences, and perspective
But to walk in it, you will:
Develop your gift.
Purpose isn’t “magic”—it’s stewarded and strengthened over time
Face the truth about your own heart.
God will reveal pride, fear, insecurity, and false identities that cloud your sight
Accept being different.
Your uniqueness is required so that others can be who they are meant to be
Why So Many Believers Are Frustrated
Many believers live with high levels of:
Frustration
Anxiety
Emotional pain
They may be “successful” by worldly standards, yet feel like something is missing.
Often, this comes down to one of two things:
“I don’t know what God wants me to do.”
“I know… but I’m running from it.”
Jonah falls into the second category.
Who Was Jonah, Really?
Jonah is called Jonah ben Amittai, meaning:
“Jonah, son of Truth.”
He wasn’t a random bystander. He was deeply prophetic:
Linked by many to the child raised from the dead by Elijah
Trained in a prophetic environment
Sent as one of the sons of the prophets to anoint Jehu as king
Used by God to speak a word that restored Israel’s borders under Jeroboam II
In other words:
Jonah had history with God. Jonah knew God’s voice. Jonah had already walked in his purpose as a prophet.
And then he ran.
The Jonah Problem: Reborn, Gifted… and Still Running
We can summarize Jonah this way:
He was “reborn” in a sense—a man who experienced a second chance at life
He was blessed with gifts and talents—fully operating in the prophetic
He had clearly found his purpose and destiny
He had given his life to serve the King of kings
So what went wrong?
He chose to deviate.
Destiny isn’t just what God intends for you—
Destiny is your choice to live your life focused on God’s needs, not just your own.
Jesus described it like this:
There is a wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction
There is a narrow gate and straitened way that leads to life—and few find it (see Matthew 7:13–14)
Paul put it in sowing and reaping language:
Whatever a man sows, that is what he will reap.
Sow to the flesh = reap corruption.
Sow to the Spirit = reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7–8).
God told Israel plainly:
“I have set before you life and good, death and evil” (see Deuteronomy 30:15).
Destiny is wrapped up in this:
Which path you choose
What you sow your life into
The Narrow Way Is About Obedience
We often think “narrow” means:
“Hard”
“Miserable”
“Restrictive”
But spiritually, the narrowness of the way is less about external difficulty and more about internal obedience.
The way is narrow because it’s defined by God’s will, not ours.
A lifestyle of ongoing repentance keeps you on that narrow road—adjusting, realigning, and returning as needed.
Salvation is narrow in this sense:
There is one way—faith in Jesus (Yeshua)
And the normal Christian life is a continual lifestyle of repentance
Feasts, Pentecost, and Empowerment for Purpose
The Biblical feasts aren’t just history—they’re prophetic patterns.
They:
Point to the future fulfillment of God’s plan
Show us how to live so we stay on the narrow path that pleases God
Pentecost / Shavuot in particular:
Represents the Torah/Word written on our hearts
Represents the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
Empowers us to live as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation
You and Jonah share this priestly calling:
To move toward your corporate purpose—being restored to your full potential so you can rule and reign with Yeshua and take dominion.
So now the questions become:
What is your name—your identity in Christ?
Do you know what you’ve been called to do?
What truth are you meant to “light” to the world?
What Purpose and Destiny Really Mean (Biblically)
Let’s pull this together.
You:
Are created in God’s image
Have been given gifts
Have been given a calling
“For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29)
Calling is like an invitation—God calling you forth into something.
Purpose is how that calling is woven into your life and the Body of Christ.
Think of purpose as:
Something God has thoughtfully “designed, woven, and fabricated” into your very being
A work of art He intends to display for His glory
A role that strengthens, purifies, and blesses the entire Body
You have:
A unique time allocated under heaven to do what God desires (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 17)
A life where all things—even the messy and painful ones—are woven into a plan for good when you love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)
A part in God’s plan that is not based on your works but on Him who calls (Romans 9:11)
Your life is like showbread before God—set forth, exposed, presented in His presence.
Your purpose is to reveal your redemptive gift to the world in a way that honours Him.
How to Actually Live a Purposeful Life (A Simple Path)
Let’s make this practical. Here’s a path you can follow:
A) Define Your Gifts and the One You’re Called to “Light”
What has God clearly placed in you?
What do others consistently affirm?
Which gift, if you really developed and used it, would most impact the Body of Christ and the world?
This is the light you are called to shine.
B) Seek Blessing and Covering
Bring your calling before God in prayer and surrender
Where appropriate, receive blessing from spiritual authority and healthy fathers/mothers in the faith
Agree with Heaven’s verdict over your life instead of fear, shame, or comparison
C) Renew Your Inner Man to Walk in Dominion
Let God renew your mind through His Word
Break agreement with lies, limiting beliefs, and false identities
Learn to carry your gift with confidence, humility, and authority
As you do this, verses like these become your reality:
God counts you worthy of your calling and empowers every good work of faith (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12)
You walk in a holy calling, based not on your merit but on His purpose and grace (2 Timothy 1:8–9)
You make your calling and election sure, and as you do, you will not stumble (2 Peter 1:10)
Final Encouragement for the Faith-Driven Woman
Sis, here’s the bottom line:
You are not an accident
Your gifts are not random
Your calling is not optional Kingdom décor
You are part of God’s redemptive strategy in this generation.
Like Jonah, you can be:
Reborn
Gifted
Called
Even experienced in your purpose…
…and still choose to run.
Or—you can choose the narrow path.
You can choose to sow to the Spirit.
You can choose to weave your redemptive gift into the Body of Christ.
You can choose to walk in destiny by living for God’s needs, not just your own comfort.
If you’re ready to:
Stop living in low-level frustration and spiritual “almost”
Step into your unique God-given purpose with clarity
Align your life, calling, and even your business with God’s design
Then this is your moment to say YES again.
Yes to the narrow way.
Yes to obedience.
Yes to purpose.
Yes to being fully who God designed you to be—for His glory and the good of His Body.
Want to Help Your Kids Walk in Their God-Given Identity Too?
If God is calling you back into purpose, He’s also inviting you to raise children who know who they are and Whose they are.
That’s why I created a set of faith-filled identity declaration printables for kids—simple, powerful, Scripture-rooted statements they can read, speak, colour, and pray over their lives.
These declarations are designed to help your children:
✔️ Rest in God’s peace
✔️ Hear His voice
✔️ Choose courage over fear
✔️ Know their worth in Christ
✔️ Dream big with Heaven
You’re not just called to walk in your own destiny—you’re called to model, speak, and plant destiny in the next generation.
If you want these printables for your kids, you can click here and start declaring God’s truth over their lives today.
