ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM GOD, LIKE JONAH DID?

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord..." Are you like Jonah? Have you been running from God?

How is the story of Jonah relevant to us right now? Well I think it's safe to say that here in the United States and we are living in a politically divided country, we fall into one camp or the other, and maybe we don’t like the folks in the other camp, so very much.

You see God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh, a city of people that Jonah despised. God wanted Jonah to preach against it. Nineveh’s wickedness had reached God and he wanted to give them a chance to repent and be saved from destruction. But Jonah, didn’t want to go to Nineveh. He didn't like God's command. So rather than obeying God, he hopped a ship to Tarshish, (and that didn’t go so well for him). He was tossed overboard, swallowed by a great fish and after three days in the belly of the fish Jonah called on God and was vomited up by the fish.

If you haven’t read the book of Jonah, click here (It is only four chapters.)

God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh, once again, and Jonah did go and he did, begrudgingly, preach to the people against their wickedness, and the people of Nineveh repented! They were saved from God's wrath and complete destruction! And this made Jonah REALLY mad!

Jonah 4:1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Are you like Jonah? Are you so dead set against your enemy that you would hold back God’s salvation from them? Would you refuse to reach out and share God’s word with them. Are they beyond redemption in your mind?

Jesus says:

Matthew 5:43 - 45

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

It is not always easy being a Christ follower and it is not going to BE easy. But there are those in the other camp who may be ready to give Jesus a try. What if you’ve turned them away from the Lord with an unkind gesture or word? What if they walk away from Christ because of your actions? Who do you think God will blame for that?

Yes, Jonah ran, but he couldn’t escape God and Neither can we!

Nineveh was saved!

Matthew 12:41

“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent."

Eventually, Nineveh was destroyed (God’s vengeance in God’s time), but the people in Nineveh of Jonah’s generation were saved.

So what is the take away here, do what God commands. Find a way to share the Word of God with them. God doesn’t say we have to like everyone, or accept their actions and values, but we are commanded to pray for them and love them. Someone you despise today may just become your close friend tomorrow - nothing is impossible with God.

Until next time, may God bless you and keep you close!

Joellen