RUNNING FROM GOD
Jonah was an Old Testament prophet sent to warn very evil people of God's judgement. But, Jonah himself was a mess. He was disobedient, pouty and belligerent. Jonah's story is a story of God's grace and God's sovereignty.
I challenge you to spend ten minutes reading the story for yourself, and then ponder these simple truths.
CHAPTER 1
- God gives clear instructions to His children and He expects us to follow them.
- Sin has multiple layers of consequences and places us in bondage -- Emotional consequences (fear), physical consequences (distress), spiritual consequences (separation from God) and many other consequences (dangers for sailors and Ninevites.)
- Sin should be confessed, not ignored. (1 John 1:9)
- God always notices sin and He will chasten and discipline His own. (Proverbs 3:11-12)
- God uses multiple sources to reveal sin. (Sailors, storms, sun, shades, winds.)
- Exposing our sin is an act of God's love. (Safety in righteousness, not in sin.)
CHAPTER 2
- Repentance involves acknowledging who God is, confession and change.
- Repentance is personal and it means you must have a real, personal encounter with God.
- Repentance involves sacrifice.
- God's grace comes even to those who willingly disobey.
CHAPTER 3
- Lost people (like the Ninevites) matter to God and must matter to us.
- Genuine repentance requires sacrifice.
- God's grace can be for both the saved (Jonah) and the unsaved (Ninevites)
CHAPTER 4
- When you're indignant with God, it illustrates your need to receive instruction from Him.
- God uses our own circumstances to illustrate His values.
- Our time on Earth is about developing our character, not our comfort.
- We should always celebrate grace.