Jonah Week 1

When people run away from God, the destination is not the focus. People instinctively want to tone down God's message to avoid feeling guilt for their sin.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people of coming doom. Jonah ran from God to avoid delivering the message. A prophet's job was to go where they didn't want to go and to tell people a message from God that they didn't want to hear. Instead of obeying God, Jonah went in the opposite direction and tried to go to the furthest place away from Nineveh.

People still do this today, running to the strangest places to get away from God, and even into toxic situations. However, running from God is running away from wisdom and truth, and from the people that God has put in our life to tell us the truth.

The Lord stopped Jonah with a storm. People who run from God are often the last ones to make the connection of where their running has taken them. Friends and family see it, and are often hurt by the worry and concern they have for their loved one who is running.

Turning our back on God creates chaos, and there is a principle of "we reap what we sow". So, even when we turn back, we cannot eliminate the consequences of our actions. However, all we can do at that point is repent and do the next right thing. If we do, the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) will help make things better.

In the case of Jonah, the Lord had prepared a great fish to catch him. He prayed 3 days and nights in the belly of the fish for God's deliverance. We can run, but we cannot hide from God, and He loves us enough to discipline us as His children. When God turns us back, it's not a punishment but His effort to win us back to Him for our own good.