Devotion 4: Running From God's Call

Rich Sawicki

Have you ever felt like God was asking you to do something, and your first thought was to do the exact opposite? That is what happened to Jonah. His story is a powerful reminder that God's plan is always best, even when it is not what we think we want.

Let's look at Jonah 1:1-6: "Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.' 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. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, 'What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.'"

God's command to Jonah was simple and clear, "Go to Nineveh." Nineveh was a huge city known for its wickedness. God's heart was to offer them a chance to turn back to Him, and He wanted Jonah to be His messenger. God's calls on our lives are without a reason. They are always tied to His purpose—to love people and bring them closer to Him.

Jonah did not want to go. He hated the people of Nineveh. Instead of heading east toward them, he went west, to a far-off place called Tarshish. He was not just trying to get away from Nineveh; the Bible says he was trying to run “from the presence of the Lord." We cannot truly escape God, but we can try. And when we do, we usually head in the complete opposite direction of where He is leading us.

Jonah's choice had consequences. He paid a fare to get on a boat, but a storm came and threatened to sink it. The storm was not an accident; God sent it to get Jonah's attention. While everyone else on the ship was panicking and praying, Jonah was asleep, trying to ignore everything. Running from God might feel like a good idea at first, but it always ends up costing us more than we think. It can put us and others in danger, and it can leave us feeling spiritually numb, like Jonah asleep in the storm.

When God speaks, our best option is always to obey. Is there a "Nineveh" in your life right now? A person or a place God is calling you to? Let us not run the other way. Instead, let us turn toward Him and trust that His plan is the safest and most life-giving path.