Why Are You Running? (pt 2)

(click here to read part 1)

What am I running from?
I know.
God knows.
And as His child He will not allow me to continue without encountering great difficulty & resistance. — That’s His lovingkindness & grace that never stops pursuing me. 

He will not allow me to hold onto something that is slowly destroying me from the inside out. 

I see myself in Jonah. The story of Jonah —much like mine— is a testimony to the patient, persistent, pursuit of the One who knows everything about me and desires me in spite of me. He knew I would resist, disobey, & run… nevertheless He does not stop in His pursuit. 

In Jonah’s story I am reminded of this time and time again. Even in Jonah’s rebellion God was going before him: preparing obstacles to remind him of His love:

1:4 — “But the Lord sent out a great wind…”
1:17 — “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish…”
4:6 — “And the Lord God prepared a plant…”
4:7 — “as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm…”
4:8 — “God prepared a vehement east wind…“

Perhaps Jonah thought it would be easy to run, hide, & go the opposite way; but Jonah didn’t know that God was going to run after Jonah just as hard as he was trying to run away. Jonah could not outrun God’s hand. Jonah learned that God’s salvation extended even to the bottom of the ocean.

Sometimes the appeal of rebellion is greater than obedience, but just like God extended mercy and grace to the Ninevites, He was also extending mercy & grace to Jonah.

In chapter 2, after Jonah is swallowed by a great fish, he prays: reflecting on his own despair & rejoicing in the deliverance God provided for him. Then, in verse 9, Jonah turns the focus away from himself and says “THOSE:” 

“Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.” Jonah 2:9

Who is Jonah referring to? As you read the chapter that verse seems somewhat out of place… perhaps he is thinking about the Ninevites: accusing the them of forsaking their chance at receiving mercy because of their idolatry…

This reminds me that when we choose to run from the Lord we must also realize that we are running TOWARDS something else…when you attempt to flee from God’s presence you are also running from all He is: love, joy, peace… When you run from God you are running TOWARDS confusion & emptiness.

What worthless idol do I continue to run to?
What am I holding that is keeping me from clinging tightly to God?
An idol is anything that we chose to worship & serve apart from God.

The NIV version of this verse reads: “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” How often have I chosen to cling to fear or pride and forfeited God’s grace?

Your hands cannot cling to idols
& His hand simultaneously.

To cling to grace you must loose your grip on pride and your desire to call the shots.

I’m a lot like Jonah: I know how it feels to be in rebellion and disobedience, thinking I’m in control and can outrun God. But stories like Jonah’s remind me that it’s a lost cause to hide from God: He’s just too gracious. He’s too kind. He’s altogether holy & unlike me. And yet He patiently insists on making me more like Him. 

That is a grace I’ll never reach the end of.

May we spend our days letting go of worthless idols so that we may be those who embrace the grace God freely gives.

“You must not turn aside,
for then you would go after futile things
which can not profit or deliver,
because they are futile.” 2 Samuel 2:21

“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way.” Psalm 119:37

“You are not hidden
There’s never been a moment you were forgotten
You are not hopeless
Though you have been broken, your innocence stolen

There is no distance
That cannot be covered over & over
You’re not defenseless
I’ll be your Shelter, I’ll be your Armor

I will send out an army to find you
In the middle of the darkest night
It’s true, I will rescue you
I will never stop marching to reach you
In the middle of the hardest fight
It’s true, I will rescue you“

-Lauren Daigle “Rescue”

Why Are You Running? (pt 1)

Jonah: his story covers 1 page in my Bible sandwiched in-between the minor prophets. The short account we have of his life intrigues me sooo much. Jonah was a prophet: which meant he was essentially “God’s mouthpiece.” We don’t know what God had called Jonah to say or do prior to this account, but when God calls him to Nineveh; verse 3 of chapter 1 says that:

“Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”

Given the fact that he was a prophet I suppose Jonah had a previous track record of being obedient & following God’s call. I would think that Jonah had an outward appearance of a “surrendered life” — but internally Jonah had something in his heart that only he & God knew about.

Perhaps Jonah had set some conditions in his heart: “Lord, I’ll go anywhere You send me. But just don’t call me to Nineveh. Anywhere but there, ok?”

So when God calls Jonah to arise & go to Nineveh—he draws the line and runs. He books it for a ship headed in the opposite direction of Nineveh & goes to the lowest part of the ship to fall asleep.

As he sought rest maybe Jonah reasoned within himself: “Certainly God will call someone else now; He won’t continue to pursue me. I sent Him a clear message, I’m not going there.“

But just as God’s heart was for the people of Nineveh, 
God’s heart was for Jonah.

God was pursuing Jonah to give him both the desire & power to follow and obey His call—but Jonah resisted.

Philippians 2:13 says:
“For God is working in you,
giving you the desire & the power
to do what pleases Him.” (NLT)

Have you experienced the reality and extent of God’s relentless desire to transform your heart? 
Have you been scared of what that change would look like…so you decided to run instead?
Have you believed that you could run from the voice of God?
Have you thought you could block out His words with enough noise?
I have.
In my experience, any time I try to do that the noise is deafening and my heart longs for the quiet stillness of His presence.

I know how it feels to run: the exhaustion & the battle that ensues when you choose to go against what God has spoken. 

God wanted to transform Jonah’s heart: so He called him to Nineveh. Only in Nineveh would Jonah be able to experience God’s heart for grace, mercy, reconciliation & restoration. 

Jonah couldn’t fathom that God would offer repentance & forgiveness to a people so unrighteous & lawless.

Jonah was running—
not only from God’s call;
but from God’s heart.

God was not only concerned about the wickedness and coming judgement for Nineveh, He was also concerned for the heart of His prophet. When God places His affection on you; He desires to remove anything that hinders your relationship with Him.  Even though it will not be comfortable or “feel good” He calls us to hard places and to do hard things because He wants to transform us & those around us — something that will last for eternity.

God is not merely concerned with a message—He is concerned for the heart of the person delivering the message.

In verses 2 & 3 of chapter 4 Jonah reflects on who he knows God to be:

“I know that You are a gracious & merciful God,
slow to anger & abundant in lovingkindness,
One who relents from doing harm.
Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me,
for it is better for me to die than to live!”

God desires us to be made more into His likeness & image.
How?
When we surrender our life to the control of the Holy Spirit the very nature & being of God comes to live inside us to live His life through us.

In Jonah’s life we see the wrestle and struggle that ensues when we fight against that surrender. God desired to remove the bitterness, resentment, anger, pride, prejudice, envy, jealousy, & selfishness that Jonah had been holding onto…

… but Jonah had other plans:
Jonah wanted to run…

You ran to bring me home.

. . . When he (the prodigal son) came to his senses, he said, '…I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.' So he got up & went to his father . . . Luke 15:17-20a

When the prodigal son comes to his senses he realizes that the inheritance he expected to bring freedom only brought bondage & shame. He now finds himself impoverished, with the words: “I am no longer worthy to be called his son” ringing over and over again in his mind.

The prodigal son accepts the fact that he may no longer be able to be called “son” but has the hope of returning & becoming a servant… He thinks his sin has permanently separated him from the love of his father and their relationship is ruined, beyond hope of restoration…

The walk from the pig’s trough to his father’s house would’ve been a long one with the weight of guilt, shame, and regret growing heavier with each step.

But there is a contrast in those verses that astonishes me…
While the prodigal son is overwhelmingly aware of his own failure & unworthiness he must also be equally as confident & assured of the character & faithfulness of his father because the MOMENT the prodigal son comes to his senses he sets off to go back to his father. Verse 18 says “I will set out & GO BACK to my father” — the one person he had taken advantage of, sinned against, & disappointed is the SAME person he knows he can go to. Why? Because he had grown up knowing and experiencing the affection and compassion of his father and was thoroughly aquatinted with his father’s heart. He knew that despite his unworthiness he could return. It does not say that he was afraid to return or that contemplated if he should return. No — when he was at his absolute lowest he says: “I will GO BACK.” He doesn’t make a resolution, saying: “I will get better” or “I will earn a worthwhile living” or “I will become someone my father will be proud of.” Nope. From a far country he embarks on his journey to return.

. . . But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him & was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him & kissed him . . . Luke 15:20b

This expression of love, acceptance, grace, and forgiveness is overwhelming because I see myself in the prodigal son. When I was far from God, dead in my sin, full of shame & bondage my gracious Father ran to embrace me. His arms wide open and His eyes full of compassion — He ran to protect me from every accusation, to silence every fear, to quiet every doubt, and to replace every lie with truth. Running to restore, reconciled & redeem me.

. . . 'Let’s have a feast & celebrate. For this son of mine was dead & is alive again; he was lost & is found.' So they began to celebrate . . . Luke 15:23b-24

The prodigal son believed he would never again be called “son” because he had taken advantage of & abused that title. But here the prodigal son hears the word he knew he was unworthy of: son. 

The prodigal son experiences the full extent of the father’s grace: he realizes that his identity was never dependent on his own actions. In the eyes of the father his son’s identity had never changed — he simply was not living in light of who he was.

In the father’s mercy he not only accepts his son but he extravagantly celebrates his return. He doesn’t hold his son’s sin or failure over him and he doesn’t reflect on his own hurt; instead he rejoices. How amazing is the love, forgiveness, & grace of our Father?!

“The LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” – Zeph. 3:17

when I was brought low, He saved me . . .
. . . You have freed me from my chains.
– psalm 116.6+16

“O Yahweh, the God who fights for me
My Hallelujah, My soul’s reprieve
Long before my heart believed
O how far You would go for me
You stepped into my Egypt
You took me by the hand
You marched me out in freedom
Into the promised land”
“Egypt” – Cory Asbury

never overlooked.

But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” - Luke 8:46-48

This woman’s story & her interaction with Jesus amazes me. She had lived for 12 years with an issue of blood that, in the Jewish culture, made her unclean. To be unclean (much like being a leper) meant you were isolated, outcast, overlooked, & ignored. She was looking for answers & longing for hope. For 12 years she searched for a solution and used all her resources on Doctors: all to no avail. Then, when she hears about Jesus―she must’ve thought: “Who is this man? He’s healed the blind, cleansed the leper, cured the sick & restored the lame…Maybe He’s my answer. Maybe He can heal me too.” Maybe she was used to being an exception: accustomed to others getting help, but not her. She’d grown used to holding onto hope, only to be let down. She had faith that Jesus could heal her; but also didn’t want to be noticed: “Maybe it would be enough if I could just touch the hem of His garment.” She wanted to slip-in, slip-out, & move on without causing a disruption. But what she didn’t know is that:

In Jesus’ presence you cannot go unnoticed.

After she touches the hem of Jesus’ garment He stops, turns towards her & she falls trembling at His feet. Then she does something amazing…in front of a crowd of onlookers she shares why she touched Jesus. Shame no longer silenced her. What she had never shared publicly before, she now testifies―voice shaking―she tells of the years of brokenness & isolation and how Jesus healed her in an instant. And Jesus’ response, so kind and reassuring, is: “Daughter.” With a single word He identifies as her Father and speaks belonging, acceptance, safety, & security over her. Then he tells her to “go in peace,” because fear, worry, hopelessness, and anxiety no longer had a place in her life. She would never be the same after this encounter with her Savior, Healer, Comforter, and Father.

I can relate to this woman. It’s easy to feel unnoticed or want to be unnoticed…to want to cover-up & stay superficial. We try to hide many things: it’s easy to allow guilt, pride, or condemnation to keep us from the feet of Jesus. Maybe we believe lies about His character: thinking that He won’t accept us, forgive us, love us, or be able to restore us.

But, just like this woman, I’ve learned that whenever you go to Jesus in humble faith there is no condemnation in His eyes: only compassion, mercy, forgiveness & healing.

He does not condemn you
& He certainly does not overlook you.

Nothing in your past, present, or future can keep you from the love & forgiveness He died to secure for you. In His eyes you will never go unnoticed. While you may try to hide, keep your distance, or slip-in & slip-out HE SEES you to the fullest & proclaims:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are mine.” – Isaiah 43:1


Go to the feet of Jesus.

Reach out in faith.

And let Him bring restoration like only He can.

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. 
To be known & not loved is our greatest fear. 
But to be fully known & truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. 
It is what we need more than anything. 
It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.” 
 ― Timothy Keller