Running in the Opposite Direction
“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.” - Jonah 1:3
Jonah was a devoted servant of God, yet when faced with a divine calling that took him out of his comfort zone, he made a choice that many of us can relate to. He ran in the opposite direction. God instructed him to go to Nineveh, but instead, Jonah fled to Tarshish, a blatant act of disobedience. This wasn’t a hesitant debate with God; it was a definitive decision to escape.
What strikes me about this narrative is that Jonah didn’t just resist God's command, he actively chose to distance himself from God’s presence. When God called Jonah to “get up,” he went down instead.
This downward spiral symbolizes the consequence of running from God. He went down to Joppa, boarded a ship, and then, exhausted from his rebellion, went down below deck to sleep. Each step away from God was a step downwards, both physically and spiritually.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? When faced with a call or a conviction, did you choose to ignore it and retreat instead? The biblical principle here is clear: running away from God will always lead you down. You can't expect to ascend to the blessings and favor of God while deliberately moving in the opposite direction of His will.
It’s important to recognize that God’s calls are not just burdens, they are invitations to experience His goodness in deeper ways. When He asks you to “get up” and follow Him, understand that this is a call to move towards His plans for your life, which are ultimately for your benefit.
Next time you feel the tug of God on your heart, remember Jonah’s story. Don’t allow fear or discomfort to lead you astray. Instead, choose to move up toward God’s presence, trusting that obedience brings you closer to the blessings He has in store for you.
Jonah was a devoted servant of God, yet when faced with a divine calling that took him out of his comfort zone, he made a choice that many of us can relate to. He ran in the opposite direction. God instructed him to go to Nineveh, but instead, Jonah fled to Tarshish, a blatant act of disobedience. This wasn’t a hesitant debate with God; it was a definitive decision to escape.
What strikes me about this narrative is that Jonah didn’t just resist God's command, he actively chose to distance himself from God’s presence. When God called Jonah to “get up,” he went down instead.
This downward spiral symbolizes the consequence of running from God. He went down to Joppa, boarded a ship, and then, exhausted from his rebellion, went down below deck to sleep. Each step away from God was a step downwards, both physically and spiritually.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? When faced with a call or a conviction, did you choose to ignore it and retreat instead? The biblical principle here is clear: running away from God will always lead you down. You can't expect to ascend to the blessings and favor of God while deliberately moving in the opposite direction of His will.
It’s important to recognize that God’s calls are not just burdens, they are invitations to experience His goodness in deeper ways. When He asks you to “get up” and follow Him, understand that this is a call to move towards His plans for your life, which are ultimately for your benefit.
Next time you feel the tug of God on your heart, remember Jonah’s story. Don’t allow fear or discomfort to lead you astray. Instead, choose to move up toward God’s presence, trusting that obedience brings you closer to the blessings He has in store for you.
Subscribe
If you were blessed by or directly benefited from this content, please subscribe to receive receive daily devotions to your inbox.
1 Comment
Any kind of disobedience is to run away from God. We must repent at all of those times.