Fish Stories: Jonah’s Rebellion – Tuesday
Jonah 1:3
“But Jonah ran away from the LORD. He headed for Tarshish. So he went down to the port of Joppa. There he found a ship that was going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board. Then he sailed for Tarshish. He was running away from the LORD.” (NIRV)
“Can we ever really run away from God where He won’t find us?” I had this thought as I read through Jonah. As bearers of free will, we are free to choose what to do with our time and what direction we want to go. This is a blessing and a curse in my opinion. Jonah was really exercising his free will muscles as he ran from God. But it makes me wonder, did he really think he could outrun God?
Jonah—as a minor prophet—would have been familiar with the Psalms. Jonah’s prayers in chapter 2 even suggest a reliance on them as a guide when speaking to the Lord. Whether or not Jonah knew this particular Psalm is not known, but I can’t help but think how fitting Psalm 139:7-8 is in this situation.
“How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there.” Psalm 139: 7-8 (NIRV)
What may have been intimidating for Jonah can be a comfort for us. We cannot escape the boundless love of our Father. Wherever we go, He sees. Whatever we do, He sees and He still chooses to love us. While we may frequently relate to Jonah and wish to hide from God in shame, He still chases after us. Like a good Father, there may be discipline for our disobedience, but we are never too far away to be found again.
Tuesday’s Reflection
Spend some time in prayer today asking God to show you his presence. Ask him to shine light on anything you may be keeping hidden, and repent to Him. Remember that He loves you, and that you will never be too far away for Him to come close.