Running From Mercy
To the Ends of the Earth: What Happens When We Run From God's Call
Have you ever felt like you've gone too far from God? Perhaps you believe you've disconnected yourself so much that God won't reconnect or engage with you anymore. Many of us expect good things for others but not for ourselves. The truth is, God will go to the ends of the earth for you. No matter how far, how disconnected, or how dysfunctional you feel, God is coming for you.
The book of Jonah perfectly illustrates this truth. In this ancient story, we find timeless lessons about God's relentless pursuit of His people - even when they're running in the opposite direction.
Who Was Jonah and Why Did He Run?
Jonah was the son of Amittai, which means "truth" or "faithfulness." God called him to go to Nineveh (in modern-day Iraq) to announce judgment against the people there because of their wickedness. These were people who were oppressing and killing God's people.
But instead of obeying, Jonah "got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord." He went to Joppa, found a ship leaving for Tarshish, and bought a ticket, hoping to escape from God's presence.
Why did Jonah run? He had set in his heart certain feelings toward these people. He thought they deserved punishment, not the mercy he knew God would ultimately show them if they repented. Jonah didn't like what God was doing, so he ran.
Can We Really Run From God's Presence?
Jonah didn't just go geographically in the opposite direction - he went spiritually in the opposite direction as well. As the son of truth and faithfulness, he chose to operate in lies rather than truth.
Many of us do the same thing. While we might not change our physical location, we change directions in our hearts. God calls us to operate in truth, faithfulness, consistency, promise, power, and purpose - but we choose to go in the opposite direction because we don't like how God is working.
There's a little bit of Jonah in all of us. We think we know better than God. We believe we understand how things should go, and when God wants to do something different, we resist.
What Happens When We Try to Escape God's Call?
"The Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart." While the sailors were panicking and praying to their gods, Jonah was sound asleep in the hold of the ship.
When the sailors cast lots to see who had offended the gods and caused the storm, the lot fell on Jonah. They asked him, "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What nationality are you?"
These questions gave Jonah an opportunity to remember who he really was. He answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
Sometimes we get caught in the storms of life and forget who we are. But culture will always give us opportunities to be reminded of our true identity. You're not the dirty, rotten scoundrel you've been convinced you are. You're a son or daughter of God in whom He is well pleased.
Why Does God Send Storms Into Our Lives?
When we find ourselves in difficult situations, we often blame everyone else and think God is out to get us. The truth is, God is out to get us - but not with wrath. He's pursuing us with mercy.
How many times do we misunderstand God's actions? We think God is mad at us when He's actually trying to awaken us to His mercy. The storms, the fish's belly, the difficult circumstances - these aren't signs of God's anger but of His relentless love.
God will meet us at our level of dysfunction to awaken us to His purposes. What looks like punishment is often God's rescue mission.
Three Important Truths About God's Pursuit
We always have a choice in our calling - We're either going to run to it or run away from it. There is no standing still.
Work for God doesn't always equal a heart for God's work - Just because we're doing God's work doesn't mean our hearts are being transformed. Unless your heart is being transformed, you most likely won't continue to progress toward the work of God.
Rebellion will always unleash God's rescue mission - No matter where you are, how far you've gone, or how disconnected you feel, rebellion always triggers God's pursuit of you.
What Does Mercy Really Mean?
Mercy means you're not going to get what you deserve. But so often, we want others to get what they deserve. We want judgment for others while desiring mercy for ourselves.
Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to receive judgment, but God wanted to show them mercy. Similarly, we often resist God's heart for others because it doesn't align with our ideas of justice.
The reality is that God was working something out in the hearts of the people of Nineveh, but He was also working something out in Jonah's heart. Sometimes we become the focal point of the lesson rather than those we're called to reach.
Life Application
God is coming for you. No matter how far you've gone or how disappointed you've been, it's time to run to God again. Here are some questions to consider:
In what areas of your life are you running from God's call?
Are you extending the same mercy to others that God has extended to you?
Is your heart being transformed by God, or are you just going through the motions of doing work for Him?
Who in your life needs God's mercy that you've been withholding?
This week, identify one person toward whom you've been harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, or judgment. Choose to extend mercy to them, just as God has extended mercy to you. Remember that where we have freely received mercy, we must also freely give mercy.
God's word is clear: He is "rich in mercy" and while we were dead because of our sins, He gave His Son's life for us to be saved. Let us be people who not only receive God's mercy but extend it to others as well.
Have you ever felt like you've gone too far from God? Perhaps you believe you've disconnected yourself so much that God won't reconnect or engage with you anymore. Many of us expect good things for others but not for ourselves. The truth is, God will go to the ends of the earth for you. No matter how far, how disconnected, or how dysfunctional you feel, God is coming for you.
The book of Jonah perfectly illustrates this truth. In this ancient story, we find timeless lessons about God's relentless pursuit of His people - even when they're running in the opposite direction.
Who Was Jonah and Why Did He Run?
Jonah was the son of Amittai, which means "truth" or "faithfulness." God called him to go to Nineveh (in modern-day Iraq) to announce judgment against the people there because of their wickedness. These were people who were oppressing and killing God's people.
But instead of obeying, Jonah "got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord." He went to Joppa, found a ship leaving for Tarshish, and bought a ticket, hoping to escape from God's presence.
Why did Jonah run? He had set in his heart certain feelings toward these people. He thought they deserved punishment, not the mercy he knew God would ultimately show them if they repented. Jonah didn't like what God was doing, so he ran.
Can We Really Run From God's Presence?
Jonah didn't just go geographically in the opposite direction - he went spiritually in the opposite direction as well. As the son of truth and faithfulness, he chose to operate in lies rather than truth.
Many of us do the same thing. While we might not change our physical location, we change directions in our hearts. God calls us to operate in truth, faithfulness, consistency, promise, power, and purpose - but we choose to go in the opposite direction because we don't like how God is working.
There's a little bit of Jonah in all of us. We think we know better than God. We believe we understand how things should go, and when God wants to do something different, we resist.
What Happens When We Try to Escape God's Call?
"The Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart." While the sailors were panicking and praying to their gods, Jonah was sound asleep in the hold of the ship.
When the sailors cast lots to see who had offended the gods and caused the storm, the lot fell on Jonah. They asked him, "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What nationality are you?"
These questions gave Jonah an opportunity to remember who he really was. He answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
Sometimes we get caught in the storms of life and forget who we are. But culture will always give us opportunities to be reminded of our true identity. You're not the dirty, rotten scoundrel you've been convinced you are. You're a son or daughter of God in whom He is well pleased.
Why Does God Send Storms Into Our Lives?
When we find ourselves in difficult situations, we often blame everyone else and think God is out to get us. The truth is, God is out to get us - but not with wrath. He's pursuing us with mercy.
How many times do we misunderstand God's actions? We think God is mad at us when He's actually trying to awaken us to His mercy. The storms, the fish's belly, the difficult circumstances - these aren't signs of God's anger but of His relentless love.
God will meet us at our level of dysfunction to awaken us to His purposes. What looks like punishment is often God's rescue mission.
Three Important Truths About God's Pursuit
We always have a choice in our calling - We're either going to run to it or run away from it. There is no standing still.
Work for God doesn't always equal a heart for God's work - Just because we're doing God's work doesn't mean our hearts are being transformed. Unless your heart is being transformed, you most likely won't continue to progress toward the work of God.
Rebellion will always unleash God's rescue mission - No matter where you are, how far you've gone, or how disconnected you feel, rebellion always triggers God's pursuit of you.
What Does Mercy Really Mean?
Mercy means you're not going to get what you deserve. But so often, we want others to get what they deserve. We want judgment for others while desiring mercy for ourselves.
Jonah wanted the people of Nineveh to receive judgment, but God wanted to show them mercy. Similarly, we often resist God's heart for others because it doesn't align with our ideas of justice.
The reality is that God was working something out in the hearts of the people of Nineveh, but He was also working something out in Jonah's heart. Sometimes we become the focal point of the lesson rather than those we're called to reach.
Life Application
God is coming for you. No matter how far you've gone or how disappointed you've been, it's time to run to God again. Here are some questions to consider:
In what areas of your life are you running from God's call?
Are you extending the same mercy to others that God has extended to you?
Is your heart being transformed by God, or are you just going through the motions of doing work for Him?
Who in your life needs God's mercy that you've been withholding?
This week, identify one person toward whom you've been harboring unforgiveness, bitterness, or judgment. Choose to extend mercy to them, just as God has extended mercy to you. Remember that where we have freely received mercy, we must also freely give mercy.
God's word is clear: He is "rich in mercy" and while we were dead because of our sins, He gave His Son's life for us to be saved. Let us be people who not only receive God's mercy but extend it to others as well.
Posted in To the Ends of the Earth
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Posted in Running, Mercy, Escape, Too far from God, Disconnected, Loss connection, God will find you, Dysfunction, God is coming for you, Not abandoned, Running in the opposite direction, Jonah, Son of Truth, Son of Faithfulness, Obedience, Get Away, Punishment, Run from God\'s Presence, Alignment, Out of alignment, Heart alignment, Consistency, Promise, Truth, Faithfulness, Directions, Escape from God\'s Call, Storm, Sleep, Hebrew, Worship, Difficult situations, Blame, False Positives, Mad, Fish, Belly, Have a choice, Choice, Work for God, A heart for God\'s Work, Progress, Transformation, Rebellion, Unleash, God\'s rescue mission, Not going to get what you deserve, Judgement, Disappointment, Extend Mercy, Unforgiveness, Bitterness, Rich in Mercy, God, Jesus, Church, Rescue, Help
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