Relentless Love: Man Reacts-God Responds (pt. 1)

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Reflections from the Book of Jonah

The Man Who Runs From God

The day my oldest son was born, I read him the story of Jonah from Sally Lloyd Jones’ Jesus Storybook Bible. It was the next story in the book. We had been reading stories every night before his arrival. It is one of the most known stories from the Bible, and yet we often still miss the point and lack the understanding of the message.

God opens His mouth and speaks to Jonah and gives him a message to give to the Ninevites. “Get up and go! Preach against the evil they have committed.” Jonah got up to flee and not go as was commanded by God. He runs in the opposite direction that God called him to go. Jonah disregarded God’s directive.

I’m sorry, where? What do you mean to go? I think you’ve made a mistake? I wonder how often we react the same way. How many lives have been lost to the devil because many have gone to flee instead of go and tell? Consider how much larger my generation and generations before me and generations that come after me if every life were considered valuable and worthy of an opportunity to live? How many and at what cost do we flee from the responsibility God has given us?

Why Do We Run?

There are many reasons why people might run from God. We all run because of sin and the effect it has on us. It began in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve after eating the fruit God commanded them not to eat (see Genesis 3). It could be because of resentment, bitterness, pain, suffering, loss of a loved one, disappointments, crushed dreams, financial crisis, or merely the fact that we don’t want to “miss out” on the fun. We end up blaming God for taking away our freedoms or His lack of care for us in our circumstances, so we run.

The devil always has a ship ready to drive us out to sea away from God.

All of us run from God. As a result, when we don’t admit our tendency to run, we can’t experience the depth of God’s grace and the power the gospel has over sin. Sin causes us to run, but when we admit our sin, this beautiful gospel penetrates every dark corner of our heart. It heals the broken wounds and reminds us of the victory we have in Christ Jesus, the One who conquered sin and death as a demonstration of God’s love. In Christ, I don’t have to run away anymore. In Christ, you don’t have to run away anymore. 

What in your life is causing you to run away from God?

The God Who Runs To Man

So, Jonah runs from God out of disobedience. Most importantly, God pursues Jonah not to punish him, instead, He pursues to bring Jonah back to Himself. To welcome Jonah in His loving embrace.

God is fascinating. The Creator and sustainer of all the earth used nature to get Jonah’s attention. This great storm was an instrument of God’s grace not just for Jonah, but the sailors, and the people of Nineveh. 

God loves me and He loves you too much to allow us to self-destruct. Not only did God use the storm, but He also used a fish. His grace is limitless, and His love has no bounds. 

The devil might have a boat to drive you out to sea away from God. But God, in contrast always prepares a fish to bring you back to His original message.

The devil uses devices that were created by man to drive us away from God. That is all he has access to. On the other hand, God has access to all creation. He is the Creator and sustainer of all things in heaven and on earth.

What is happening in your life right now that is opening up your eyes to see God's limitless grace and unbounded love?

What Will It Be?

We each have a choice to make. Every follower of Christ Jesus has a job to do in building His Kingdom. We are all called to go make disciples and love our neighbors. We see from Jonah’s life this calling is not the easiest, but God will have His way by any means necessary. God desires us to be contributors and partakers of His abundant grace for all humankind. The stakes are too high. Perhaps the Lord is sending you to your next-door neighbor or thousands of miles away from everything you know to share the gospel to someone who has never heard the name of Jesus.

Will you choose to go or will you flee your assignment?