A couple weeks ago, I met a good friend at the airport overlooking the runway and we sat and talked about life as we watched airplanes and helicopters take off and land. During that conversation, the story of Jonah became a topic of conversation. This conversation was a springboard into a couple week study for me in the book of Jonah. There is enough stuff in Jonah to write a commentary on (haha) but the question that keeps resounding in my mind is “in what areas of my life am I running from the Lord.”
Jonah 1:1-3a – “The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." 3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.
Now many of us read those words and think about being in the right job or relationship. Am I studying the right major? Am I living in the right city? And I think those are all valid questions and callings from the Lord, but that is not necessarily the question that is ringing in my ears as I read this passage.
Am I running from the everyday callings of the Lord? I was in a church one time on the Island of Tangier. As I sat there preparing to speak, going over those final notes I was distracted by a huge sign in the front of the church that said, “Please Obey the Holy Spirit”. Man that is it! Everyday just listen to the voice of the Lord and do it.
What are you running from the Lord in? Is it witnessing or giving? Is it making a decision that might let someone down or make you not look so cool. Is it changing the channel on the TV or the radio? Is it spending more time with the Lord?
This weekend my wife and I went on a date to Olive Garden. I am not the guy who always ask if we can pray for the waiter, but I really felt like the Lord was asking us to pray for this girl. So we did! And the Lord used it! We walked away going, “Why don’t we do that all the time?” We meant asking to pray for a waiter but the real meaning should have meant, “why don’t we listen to the voice of the Lord more often and do it?”
Jonah ran from the voice of the Lord…are you?
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