Like Jonah, Have You Ever Tried to Run From God?

Have you ever tried to run from God? I have.

There have been times when I’ve had no intention of doing what He said. However, I have learned that my life tends to go better over the years when I wave the proverbial white flag sooner rather than later.

Besides, there have been times in my life where I have not felt like praying and times when my prayers feel like they are unanswered. Here and there, I don’t even like the direction God is telling me to pray or who I am to pray for. Can you relate?

Walking with God has challenges. We like to present a case that walking with the Lord is easy, and we neglect the challenges. The longer we walk with Him, the more we learn to trust Him, but it is a process—and there are still challenges. In the midst of it all, we can remind ourselves that He sees past the moment, past our attitudes, and He takes in the whole picture.

The other day I was thinking about Jonah. Here is a man who knew the voice of God. He was also a man who had his mind made up about an entire people group. He had already decided that they were not worthy of redemption, so when God told him to deliver a word, Jonah went the opposite direction.

Maybe I didn’t go to the lengths that Jonah went to, but I can think of times when I have climbed into the judge’s set and pounded the gavel rather than listening to God’s verdict. I am thankful that the Bible is already written, so I can be sure that God won’t be recording my obstinate attitude there!

But Jonah is an excellent case study of how not to run from God. He has provided us with an excellent resource to grow and mature in our walk with God. He challenges us to see the bigger picture and to align with the heart of God. As we walk with Jonah, we realize that our judgments and wrong attitudes can quickly get in the way of what God is doing and cause us to miss His goodness.

Ready to stop running? In this podcast, you’ll learn how to skip the belly of the big fish and go directly to where God is telling you to go. {eoa}

Ruth Hendrickson is an ordained pastor, itinerant speaker, ministry trainer and board-certified Biblical counselor who has extensive experience in the development, training and oversight of emotional healing ministry teams, recovery ministries, prophetic ministry, prayer ministries and women’s ministry. In addition, she is a course facilitator for Patricia King Institute and Charisma courses. She writes for Elijah List and Charisma and has a podcast titled Real Truth with Ruth. Through biblically based teachings and practical applications infused with love and laughter, her goal is to introduce people not only to the living God who saves, but also to the God who desires an intimate relationship with each one of us. Her latest book, Everyday Prophetic, will help you find the prophetic voice that God has given you. Visit her website at ruthhendrickson.org and connect with her on Facebook at facebook.com/ruthhendrickson.org.