“But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.” (Jonah 1:3)
Jonah didn’t run from the Ninevites – he ran from God. He hoped that the command which he found to be uncomfortable and distressing would disappear if he simply fled from God’s presence… but it never works that way.
We run away from the church because we are ashamed of our sin, but sin still needs to be addressed. We fill our time with leisure and entertainment in hopes that the responsibilities will go away, but after the problems don’t go away. Whenever we ignore what God would have us to do, we only make it worse. We avoid mending relationships because we think shutting the door is easier until the bitterness rises in our hearts. The bill for ignoring God’s will always comes due eventually.
Jonah had to go to Nineveh, he only added suffering to the journey by avoiding it. God’s commands are meant to help us avoid pain and heartache by proactively addressing life’s struggles before they get gigantic. Don’t run from God, run to Him.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites