Friday, May 13, 2016

When you read the book of Jonah in the Old Testament it’s clear that God wanted to mobilize Jonah for ministry – that’s the focus of the book. But Jonah temporarily thwarted God’s plan when he rejected the word he received from God. Notice how this point is amplified in chapter one of Jonah. In verse 3 it says he “ran away from the Lord.” In other words, when you reject God’s Word you’re in essence rejecting God. Now that’s serious business. It has serious consequences. The fact of the matter, however, is that you can’t really run away from God. He is omnipresent. That means He’s present everywhere. There is no place you can run or fly to where you will not find him. The psalmist in Psalm 139 says that if you go to the uttermost part of the sea He is there. If you fly to the highest heaven, He is there. If you go to the deepest hell, even there He is present. You can’t get away from God. Face it. If he speaks to you, you better listen and obey. If you don’t, you will pay a heavy price, and those around you will also be affected negatively. Read about it in the life of Jonah in chapter one of his book. There’s a comforting thing, however, to keep in mind. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” If you’re going to run, why not run to Him and let Him fulfill his work in and through you. No matter how challenging the call, God promises to be with you in carrying it out. Trust Him.