The Sovereignty of God
By Jasmine Britto, Kerala, India
Day 1
Jonah 1:1-3
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.
The word of the Lord came to Jonah and God made it very clear to Jonah what he wanted Jonah to do. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against it because its wickedness had reached up before God.
God is not unaware of the injustice, wickedness, and evil happening in the world, he sees it and at the appropriate time, he will act. Nineveh was a powerful and wicked city. (Please read Nahum 3:1-4 to know more about Nineveh’s wickedness.)
Jonah had grown up hating the Assyrians and fearing their atrocities. His hatred was so strong that he did not want them to receive God’s mercy. So, he resisted God and went in the opposite direction, wanting to run away from the presence of God.
When God gives us directions through His word, sometimes we run in fear or stubbornness, claiming that God is asking too much from us.
It might have been fear or anger at God’s mercy that made Jonah reluctant and run away from the presence of the Lord. But how could Jonah think that he could run away from the presence of the Lord? None of us can go into hiding away from the presence of the Lord.
Psalm 139:7-10 says:
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
So, why did Jonah flee? Jonah could not stand the thought of God extending mercy to people whom Jonah believed didn’t deserve it. He wanted them to have judgment from God instead. So, he disobeyed God and got on a ship, which was going in the opposite direction, after paying the fare. It literally cost Jonah to disobey God. Disobedience to God never comes without its cost.
“When you run away from the Lord, you never get to where you are going and you always pay your fare. When you go the Lord’s way, you not only get to where you are going, but He provides the fare.”
— Donald Grey Barnhouse [Mr. Barnhouse (1895–1960) was an influential American pastor, theologian, and author. This quote is often attributed to his radio sermons.]
The presence of sin always causes us to flee and hide from the presence of the Lord. We see it in the very beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 3, when sin first entered the world through Adam and Eve. Their immediate instinct was to go and hide from God.
Is there something God is calling me to, and I am not being obedient? Delayed obedience or partial obedience is disobedience. What is disobedience costing me?
Prayer Focus
Today let’s ask God to help us see where we are — is there a condition of our hearts that is causing us to hide from Him?
2 Comments
Feb 20, 2025, 12:00:30 PM
Agnès Koffi - Very very inspiring devotional. especially in our days when evil is increasing. God needs us to spread his love to heal hearts sick with sin. Thanks my Sister
Feb 14, 2025, 5:07:59 AM
Salomee Bhaskaran - What I understood is we can't run from God and we have to pay for our disobedience... No matter how much I try to hide myself but nothing can be hidden from God...