THE PRODIGAL PROPHET PART II (2 OF 5)
by Joe Alain
Scripture: Jonah 1:4, Jonah 2:10
This content is part of a series.
The Prodigal Prophet Part II (2 of 5)
Series: Jonah, God's Unbounded Love
Joe Alain
Jonah 1:4-2:10
''But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord'' (1:3). Jonah thought he had things figured out. He would hop a ship to Tarshish, he would get away ''from the presence of the Lord,'' and all would be well. So much for our well-designed plans to avoid God's calling on our lives. Jonah runs from God's call but he cannot hide and neither can he avoid the consequences of his disobedience. Jonah is on a downward trajectory and that always leads to ''away'' but God has not forgotten about Jonah or the mission that he gave to him.
Some Words of Wisdom to Prodigals
In Jonah 1:4-2:10, we discover four (4) words of wisdom given to prodigals.
1. You can walk out on God, but He will never walk out on you
One thing I find fascinating about Jonah's story and what it says about God (he's the focus), the lord is not going to let Jonah off the hook that easy. God pursues Jonah relentlessly. You can walk out on God, but he will never walk out on you. You can let go, he holds on, he is going to pursue you. That is good news because my relationship with God is not based on how well I can hold on, it depends on him and he has me for eternity. But this is also why a believer can never be in a place of contentment or security if he or she is out of God's will. When we are not where God wants us, doing what God wants us to do, we feel uneasy, and not at peace. All of us are tempted to walk away at times, to disobey the call of God like Jonah. And like the Prodigal Son who thought he could forget who he was, so we try to put behind us who we really are, but God would not let him forget, and he will not let us forget either, that he has destined us for greater things. You may need to hear th ...
Series: Jonah, God's Unbounded Love
Joe Alain
Jonah 1:4-2:10
''But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord'' (1:3). Jonah thought he had things figured out. He would hop a ship to Tarshish, he would get away ''from the presence of the Lord,'' and all would be well. So much for our well-designed plans to avoid God's calling on our lives. Jonah runs from God's call but he cannot hide and neither can he avoid the consequences of his disobedience. Jonah is on a downward trajectory and that always leads to ''away'' but God has not forgotten about Jonah or the mission that he gave to him.
Some Words of Wisdom to Prodigals
In Jonah 1:4-2:10, we discover four (4) words of wisdom given to prodigals.
1. You can walk out on God, but He will never walk out on you
One thing I find fascinating about Jonah's story and what it says about God (he's the focus), the lord is not going to let Jonah off the hook that easy. God pursues Jonah relentlessly. You can walk out on God, but he will never walk out on you. You can let go, he holds on, he is going to pursue you. That is good news because my relationship with God is not based on how well I can hold on, it depends on him and he has me for eternity. But this is also why a believer can never be in a place of contentment or security if he or she is out of God's will. When we are not where God wants us, doing what God wants us to do, we feel uneasy, and not at peace. All of us are tempted to walk away at times, to disobey the call of God like Jonah. And like the Prodigal Son who thought he could forget who he was, so we try to put behind us who we really are, but God would not let him forget, and he will not let us forget either, that he has destined us for greater things. You may need to hear th ...
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