TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 20, 2015.
ESCAPE
Get away or flee as from capture or confinement; evade or avoid; elude.
But Jonah rose up to flee into Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa. Jonah 1:3.
Alcatraz is a prison in the bay of San Francisco. This prison was reserved for the worst prisoners in America. They would be sent here to serve their time because the judicial system felt that escape would be impossible. Alcatraz is located on an Island in the San Francisco Bay and escape would require a long and difficult swim that most thought was humanly impossible.
Today it is a museum and several of our grandchildren went there on a school trip. Upon their return they told us about their visit and reported that some felt that one or two prisoners may have escaped, but if they did escape from the island they would have surely drowned in their attempt to swim to land.
The scripture above tells us of Jonah’s plan of escape to avoid doing what God asked him to do. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach the Word of God. Jonah did not like the assignment and decided to escape God’s presence by running away to Joppa by getting on a boat headed to Tarshish.
It was foolish for any person in the prison at Alcatraz to think that they could escape by jumping off the Island into a vast sea expanse of water like the San Francisco bay. It was even more foolish for Jonah to think he could run and escape from God, who is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and all omnipresent (present everywhere).
Just as trying to escape from Alcatraz could only lead to disaster so would Jonah’s attempt to escape from God’s presence. Jonah was hurled into a raging sea and as he was about to drown he cried out to God and even in the midst of a stormy sea God was present. God provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and saved him. You know the rest of the story about Jonah and the whale. Because of God’s miracle of deliverance, Jonah repented and yielded to God’s perfect will.
In trying to escape from doing what God wanted him to do just think about what Jonah lost. He lost not only valuable time he could have spent preaching God’s Word, but he lost his peace of mind for a period of time. It certainly must have tormented him to know he was not doing what God wanted him to do. He had lost the blessing of God’s presence, God’s provision and God’s comfort in his life.
Jonah thought he could run from God but his attempt only brought suffering on himself and those on the boat with him. Disobedience brings consequences and often affects not only the offender but those who are with him or her.
God had given Jonah a specific job to do but Jonah did not like the job description. He did not want to go to Nineveh to preach God’s message of love and forgiveness to the wicked Assyrians who he hated and feared. He did not want them to repent and be spared from God’s judgment which they deserved for all their evil ways. Jonah tried to escape to Joppa.
Like Jonah, we may be called on by God to do things we don’t like or want to do. We may feel like Jonah and want to turn and run. When we defy God and run from what He wants us to do the result is always the same. It will lead to a disaster and we lose the presence and comfort of the Lord in our lives.
Just like Jonah, we may find ourselves in the midst of a raging sea. The moment we run off to seek our own purposes, without God’s blessing, we are at sea without a pilot. Then we cry out to God asking Him where has He gone? God has not left us, we have left Him.
By this time in our life we are at the same place that Jonah was --- on the run and with no peace of mind. Sin destroys a believer’s comfort. Jonah found out, as you will, that it is harder to try to escape from doing what God wants you to do than to yield to His will -- when, where and how He directs you.
When you truly put your trust in God and communicate with Him daily, then you will not flee from what He tells you. It is hard to contend against God when you try to escape doing His will. When you trust Him, He knows what is best and will be with you always giving you His assurance of His faithfulness and the comfort of His presence.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 24:15b.
But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Give me the wisdom to know Your will in my life and give me the strength and the courage to obey and not to run from You to try to escape doing Your perfect will in my life. Give my family direction and guidance that only You can give us. Thank You for leading us, protecting us and blessing us.
 |
| Special Price Only $10.00 Click Here for More |
ONE FINAL SUGGESTION.
If you have not received your FREE BOOKMARK from us, please click on either:
or
And we will send one to you. It includes 10 golden rules for a happy family.
