#2 Running From God
Happy Monday everybody! :) Today's message will, hopefully, serve as an encouragement for any Christians who feel themselves running from the call of God.
So, the story of Jonah is that God called him to go to Ninevah and tell them to repent, for their evil had come against Him. Now, Jonah had the idea to run. This wasn't just a short distance either. (Like, if your parents ever said they would whip your butt, and you would run around the house to avoid it.) He jumped on a boat and sailed far away, in the opposite direction. While on the boat, a fierce storm troubled the boat, casting all aboard it into a frenzy. Constantly throwing things off, hoping it would lighten the load so that they could regain control, eventually, they called out to "their" gods. Jonah, on the other hand, was sleeping during the storm. They begged him to pray to his god and eventually cast lots to find the one responsible. Jonah was chosen. He told them to throw him overboard and the storm would stop. Asking for mercy from Jonah's God, they threw him over and the storm ceased.
Now, one of the most interesting parts of this story is the response of the other people on the boat after Jonah is tossed. "Then, the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows." (Jonah 1:16) Earlier, these men were not thinking about Christ. They called out to their gods, requesting the storm be stopped but to no avail. However, in Jonah's disobedience, they were introduced to God’s power and might. There are some moments where, during a struggle, we are having, we run from God. He'll tell us something that we don't want to do. He says, "Forgive them." We say, “Nope, not today.” He says, "Give them your time." We say, “I have things I need to do.” He says, "Be patient with them." We say, “Lord, your spirit in me went shopping today, and patience was the last thing on the grocery list.”
Why do we run? Well, only the person knows that. But, even while running, God can still use you. Now, that doesn't serve as an excuse for disobedience. Instead, it serves as a reminder that God loves you too much to let you think that you can't be used even amid inner trials. Obedience is always better than punishment, but even in consequences, His love can be shown to you and others simultaneously.
Scripture Reference of the week: Jonah 1
God Bless and have a fantastic week
