03/08/20 - Jonah - On The Run - Jonah 1

When my kids were little we played a game that took "hide and seek" to the next level. They loved it when I turned out the lights while they hid themselves in the house. Then after one minute I would quietly seek to find them. They could never keep it together. When I got close they would scream with excitement, run from their hiding spots and flee my presence in terror. But it didn’t matter. Back then I was faster and stronger and would always catch them; take them up in my arms and rub my whiskers on their little faces while they squirmed and laughed. You can’t outrun dad’s affections.

The story of Jonah is about a man who tried to outrun God. Jonah should have known better, after all, he was a prophet. He signed up to be God’s man to do God’s work. But he didn’t agree with the plans. He thought he knew better. Things didn’t make sense to him. He had extreme prejudices. Why would God want to give grace to his enemies? Why would God want to save a city full of wicked people? The problem is that Jonah didn’t see himself as a recipient of God’s grace. Therefore he didn’t believe grace should be given to others. God’s grace is just that good. It’s for the self-righteous and the unrighteous. God wants to give grace to our city too. So let’s learn from Jonah’s example and let’s not run from God’s desire to reach our home. Let’s experience God’s transforming grace together!