Some people have an idea of God as someone who is chasing them down because He wants to give them some kind of a beating for disobeying Him. In reality nothing can be further from the truth. He is pursuing them to show them how much He loves them. We often tend to follow the ways of the world and goes away from the path the Gospel teaches us. We must remind ourselves that Jesus never said follow my people, instead He said, ‘Follow Me’.
God called Jonah to preach to the Ninevites for He was going to punish them for their evil ways but, instead of obeying, Jonah decided to run away from the presence of the Lord. Jonah did not want the Ninevites to be saved; he feared that God would forgive Ninevah because He knew the nature of God. (Jonah 4:2) – “For I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing.” Eventually after a dramatic journey in the opposite direction of Nineveh, Jonah reaches Ninevah and proclaim God’s message.
Initially, Jonah emerges as an example in the Bible of how not to behave. But the book of Jonah is about God and how great His heart is towards His children who run away from Him. God never gave up on Jonah and the people of Nineveh because He is slow to anger, compassionate and abounding in love (Psalm 103:8). Albeit with reluctance, Jonah’s obedience to God brought about great results, results that only God could bring.
Have you ever tried to run away from God? If so, did you know that God is pursuing you today? He will never abandon you nor forsake you because, He says in Isaiah 43:5, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” He wants you to bloom where you are planted