“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Is running from God worth it? When asked in isolation, this question almost seems rhetorical. Clearly, it is not a good idea to run from God. Yet, at some point or another, we all seem to find ourselves doing exactly that. As He continues to push you to grow, He might lead you somewhere you don’t want to go.
You might tell Him, “Lord I didn’t ask for this,” or, “God I didn’t sign up for this,” or “Lord, why me?” Have you ever found yourself asking God these questions or making these statements? God does not require that you always understand. He just wants you to obey Him. He will not force you to follow His ways, but like anything else, there are consequences when we choose to run from Him.
We have already talked about the consequences of running from God’s presence and running from His calling. When you choose to run from God, you are also running from God’s protection. And this consequence might just be the scariest one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” The verse says “The Lord is faithful.” He is faithful to those who are obedient to Him, those who follow Him, those who trust Him, those who obey Him, and those who can be found in His presence.
When you step outside the presence of God, you also step outside the protection of God. This is a dangerous place to be, my friend. There are so many strings the Lord is constantly pulling to orchestrate things in your life. Many of these things you never even see or know about.
But when you run from His presence and protection, He may no longer be pulling those same strings, and you could be on your own. Jonah ran from God and found himself in a crucial sea storm, and eventually, in the mouth of a whale. That doesn’t sound very safe!
God wants to give you protection. When you are obedient, you can experience God’s presence, God’s calling, and God’s protection. But just know, when you run from Him, you are running from all of it, including His protection!