Have you ever wanted to run away?
We probably all have that feeling once in a while. We just want to get away.

Sometimes I feel that way being in the ministry. It is so hard trying to keep so many people happy, and I feel pretty frustrated at times. Sometimes I think just walking away would be easier and better for everybody concerned. But every time I think of that, the story of Jonah is a reminder to me. Because, being AWOL (absent without leave) is not where God  wants us to be…

This is what happened in the Old Testament to a prophet named Jonah. "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD."  Jonah 1:1-3 – NIV 

Why is Jonah running? He hates the Ninevites!

"When we sin against God, we get really stupid!" [Mark Driscoll]

When we are trying to run from God, often times he sends a storm to bring us around. Sometimes the troubles that come our way are just the stuff of life – the troubles that are common to everyone. Other times they are persecution for doing the right thing, but there are times when troubles come because we are not following the voice of God in our lives. There are times when we are going through troubles and we want to blame the devil, but it might not be the devil that is sending troubles our way – It says that God sent the storm on Jonah!

This what I like to call “harsh grace” – it is harsh because it hurts, but it is grace because the intention is that the storm draws us back into God’s will, his presence and his love. When we run, God will use circumstances to humble us and re-direct us. Sin is not just between you and God; it affects the entire community.