Contemplative Bible Reading

Jonah 1:3 (New International Version)

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.

Another verse from one of my favorite histories in the Bible.

Jonah didn’t want to do what the Lord wanted him to do. So what did Jonah do instead?

He ran away.

Look at a map of the ancient world (this site has such a map), and you will notice that Tarshish is in the exact opposite direction from Nineveh. You will also note that Nineveh is in modern-day Iraq, but that is another history.

You know the history: Jonah boarded a ship, God sent a storm, Jonah was cast into the sea, swallowed by a great fish, spit out after three days, and so on.

Running away from God didn’t work.

Funny how we rarely seem to learn from history. We still try this routine. We know what God wants us to do, but that doesn’t suit our personal agenda, so we go in the opposite direction hoping that somehow God won’t notice what we are doing. How stupid can we be? God not notice?

God, grant me wisdom. Help me to understand Jonah’s plight. Help to to really and truly understand that no matter how many doors I close and how many things I do to give myself “privacy” that you notice that I am running away. Help me to understand the futility of my own agenda, and instead do your will.