Are You Running From God?
Are You Running From God? | November 19, 2023
A lie has existed from the beginning of time, saying, "Running from God doesn't cost you anything." However, that distortion of the truth causes more chaos and harm than anything else. See, there is always a price to pay when you run from God. Whether you chase sin or run from His calling for you, it will cost you. Jonah, God's servant and prophet, struggled with the latter. When the Lord called him to go to Nineveh, he responded by trying to go approximately 2,500 miles in the opposite direction!
Jonah 1:1-3, "The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: 2 'Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.' 3 Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord's presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord's presence."
God communicated to Jonah uniquely and divinely the commission to go to Nineveh and share a repentance message. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, which happened to be the infamous nemesis of Israel. The "evil" (mentioned in Jonah 1:2) that came before the Lord was the Assyrians' atrocities against the Jews. Thus, Jonah's reluctance stemmed from his thought that the Ninevites deserved God's wrath, not His mercy. Also, he probably figured that his life would be in jeopardy, considering how harshly the Assyrians treated his fellow countrymen. So he boarded a ship to Tarshish, most likely navigated by Phoenician sailors, to get as far away from God's mission as possible. However, he didn't make much progress.
Notice that Jonah "paid the fare" to board the ship. That phrase is both symbolic and significant because there is always a price associated with our rebellion. When you run from God toward sin, you may pay with your reputation, career, prosperity, health, or even family. On the other hand, if you run from your calling, you may find yourself in a problematic situation similar to where Jonah found himself later in this chapter.
Therefore, refuse to buy the lies that push you away from God and seek to do everything God's way. Get in the Scriptures daily, join a Bible Study, pray, and attend church regularly.
Jonah 1:1-3, "The word of the Lord came to Jonah, son of Amittai: 2 'Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because their evil has come up before me.' 3 Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord's presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the Lord's presence."
God communicated to Jonah uniquely and divinely the commission to go to Nineveh and share a repentance message. Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, which happened to be the infamous nemesis of Israel. The "evil" (mentioned in Jonah 1:2) that came before the Lord was the Assyrians' atrocities against the Jews. Thus, Jonah's reluctance stemmed from his thought that the Ninevites deserved God's wrath, not His mercy. Also, he probably figured that his life would be in jeopardy, considering how harshly the Assyrians treated his fellow countrymen. So he boarded a ship to Tarshish, most likely navigated by Phoenician sailors, to get as far away from God's mission as possible. However, he didn't make much progress.
Notice that Jonah "paid the fare" to board the ship. That phrase is both symbolic and significant because there is always a price associated with our rebellion. When you run from God toward sin, you may pay with your reputation, career, prosperity, health, or even family. On the other hand, if you run from your calling, you may find yourself in a problematic situation similar to where Jonah found himself later in this chapter.
Therefore, refuse to buy the lies that push you away from God and seek to do everything God's way. Get in the Scriptures daily, join a Bible Study, pray, and attend church regularly.
Posted in Spiritual Growth
Recent
Archive
2024
January
Focus On FaithfulnessBe Faithful Where You Are NowFaithfulness Requires Patience God's Perfect FaithfulnessGod Blesses FaithfulnessStart Your Year In ChurchGod's Forecast Of Forgiveness Avoid Self-Pity You Can Overcome Distraction White As SnowJumpstart Your Health With FastingMaintain An Active Church Membership Your Most Important DecisionTake Ownership Of Unhealthy Choices
February
Take Notes When Reading The Bible Alternatives To AnxietyYou Need A SquadGod Has Super Bowls Of BlessingFocus On Obedience, Not the Odds We Accomplish More Together Kindness Is Good For Your HealthKindness Is Remembered And RewardedLoose Lips Sink CredibilityKind Words Promote HealingEvaluate All ExcusesTreat People RightComplaining Is Not HealthyLeap Forward In Your Faith
March
May
June
Praying About Panic and PainSurround Yourself With Good People God's Promise To Those Who WaitPrepared By Your PastProtect Your Torch Faith And Flag DayTrust God To ProvideReceiving The Father's BlessingPray Before Making DecisionsGod Is Our Mighty Fortress Carry One Another Remove Whatever Is Contaminating Your MindPray Early And Often Reverence For God's House Trust God For The Impossible What To Do In Times Of Trouble
2023
August
Good Decisions Require Discernment Live By God's PowerPraying For Real ComfortGetting In Rhythm With GodAvoid Self-Righteous PrayersKeep Your Promises With GodMercy Leads To HappinessAddress Any Self-Righteous AttitudesPraying With ConfidenceHow Does God See You?Turn Away From Whatever Gets You StuckStop Talking About Your ProblemsOur Prayers Reach God's EarsStress Management Starts In The MorningFollowing ChristNavigating The Darkness Of This World Measure God's PromisesLittle Light Of MineGet Your Priorities In OrderPraying Without Results Can Be ToughYou Can Overcome DoubtPray ContinuouslyRescue-Me Prayers Practice Inward KindnessTrust God's TimingSurrender My AgendaFocus On Being A River Rather Than A ReservoirGod's Gracious CoveringYou Are Never Out Of God's ReachSeek God With No Strings Attached
No Comments