Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
We are probably all familiar with the story of Jonah. It’s a good story in the Bible and children love hearing it. It’s a short book in the Bible but full of meaning. As with all stories in the Bible, we need to study it and learn. Its main point is to help us to make better choices.
Jonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh to warn the people to turn from their evil ways or God would destroy the city. God wanted to give the people a chance to make a better choice. He wanted to use Jonah to relay this message. Jonah, like many of us, ran from God.
We often run the other way when God tries to talk to us, tries to direct us. As sinful humans, we want to choose the easy way, which is usually not the right way. We want to choose the way that is more appealing, not thinking about the great blessing God wants to give each of us when Jesus returns. We don’t look to that promise, we want the fun and easy that is right before us.
When Jonah tried to run, God followed. Jonah had things happen not just to him, but to others as well, all because of his poor decision to try and run. Jonah even tried to take a difficult way out by having the sailors throw him overboard, only to be swallowed by a whale! This gave Jonah time, 3 days, to think and talk with God. Jonah finally said he would do what God asked. That was when the Whale spit him out.
When we try to run from God, when we turn away, things don’t go well for us. We run into problems and more difficulties. Things are rough. When we turn back to God, talk with Him, pray, He is right there to help us through. God gives us strength. Things don’t always go smoothly but with God, He is right there with us through it all.
Jonah went to Nineveh and warned the people just as God had asked him to. Amazingly, the people listened! They turned from their evil ways, they repented. Because they repented, God spared the city. He did not destroy it. They were saved.
That is all God asks from us. He wants us to repent, to turn from our evil ways and to turn toward Him. He promises He will save us. He sent Jesus to pay the price we owe. If we accept Jesus, accept what He did for us, and turn from our ways, repent, He will save us. When Jesus returns, we will be welcomed into His glorious kingdom! What a beautiful time that will be. Don’t run from God’s call!
I challenge you to read Jonah and apply it to your own life. Where do you see yourself? We all need to do this.