Jonah 1
He was a stubborn man. Not willing to do as the Lord asked him to. What exactly was it that God wanted him to do that made Jonah run?
God asked him to go to Ninevah to preach against the sin that was raging there. Jonah paid God no mind and instead left his presence to go to Joppa. There he boarded a ship that would take him to Tarshish. What he planned to do there might be anyone's guess. Because he didn't make it. He had an encounter with a big fish instead.
God wasn't about to let Jonah get away with running away. And so he caused a storm and the sailors that were on the ship decided it was Jonah that was responsible for it. And so they threw him into the sea. And that is how Jonah met up with the fish.
Can you imagine what it must have been like to be in the belly of that fish? While he was there, Jonah pleaded with God to get him out of that situation. And so God did. He caused the fish to vomit Jonah out. He did rescue him out of his situation. But not before teaching him first about obedience by letting him stay in the fish's belly for 3 days and 3 nights. How awful could that have been?
Jonah did make it to Nivevah after that, and he finally did what God had asked him in the first place. He preached to the people and when he did many repented. God had gotten his way.
And he always does. He will pursue those that he loves until we give up and stop running. Because even though we are running we often times do not really realize it. We get into situations that are not good for us. We play with sin because it is fun. But it will last only for a season because God will catch up with us and because his judgment is righteous, sometimes and probably most times we have to pay the consequences. And those consequences can be as stinking as Jonah's being in that fish's belly.
However, God loves us and when he catches us, he forgives us and wraps us up in his arms to welcome us back into his presence. There is no better place to be but in the presence of God. He knows all about each of us. Where we have been and what we have done.
If you have been running from God, stop. Let him catch you. Let him wrap his loving arms around you to welcome you home. It is what he wants. He will forgive you and you will never be sorry.
Jonah did make it to Nivevah after that, and he finally did what God had asked him in the first place. He preached to the people and when he did many repented. God had gotten his way.
And he always does. He will pursue those that he loves until we give up and stop running. Because even though we are running we often times do not really realize it. We get into situations that are not good for us. We play with sin because it is fun. But it will last only for a season because God will catch up with us and because his judgment is righteous, sometimes and probably most times we have to pay the consequences. And those consequences can be as stinking as Jonah's being in that fish's belly.
However, God loves us and when he catches us, he forgives us and wraps us up in his arms to welcome us back into his presence. There is no better place to be but in the presence of God. He knows all about each of us. Where we have been and what we have done.
If you have been running from God, stop. Let him catch you. Let him wrap his loving arms around you to welcome you home. It is what he wants. He will forgive you and you will never be sorry.
I am thankful that you came by today Friends. Have a blessed day and pass them on to someone that especially need them.
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