HOW DOES GOD DEAL WITH OUR DISOBEDIENCE? (JON. 3:1 )

   IN THE LIGHT OF GOD'S OMNISCIENCE AND OMNIPRESENCE, IT'S  EASY TO WONDER WHY CHRISTIANS STILL ATTEMPT TO RUN FROM THE LORD. JONAH CERTAINLY DEMONSTRATED THAT IT COULD NOT BE DONE, AND YET  MANY PEOPLE STILL INSIST ON TRYING. WHY?

   SOMETIMES THEY ACT OUT OF PURE SELFISHNESS. WE HAVE AN UNLIMITED CAPACITY TO BELIEVE WE KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR US, REGARDLESS OF WHAT GOD SAYS.

     SOMETIMES WE BALK OUT OF SIMPLE FEAR: WE WORRY THAT WE MIGHT NOT SUCCEED, OR THAT OTHERS WILL CRITICIZE OUR EFFORTS, OR THAT OUR OBEDIENCE WILL COST US TO MUCH. WHAT WE FAIL TO RECOGNIZE, HOWEVER, IS THE MUCH HIGHER PRICE OF FLEEING FROM THE LORD.

JONAH PAID DEARLY FOR HIS REBELLION.NOT ONLY DID HE SUFFER EMBARRASSMENT, TERROR,AND GUILT, BUT HE ALSO JEOPARDIZED THE LIVES OF MEN WHO GOD WANTED TO SAVE. JONAH OVERLOOKED TWO ESSENTIALS THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND.

FIRST, HE INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT FLEEING FROM GOD WOULD RELEASE HIM FROM HAVING TO OBEY GOD. HE NEVER IMAGINED HOW PERSISTENT THE LORD CAN BE WHEN HE CALLS US TO A DUTY STATION. EVENTUALLY JONAH FOUND THAT GOD WILL PURSUE US IN LOVE, EVEN TO THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA,IN ORDER TO CONFORM US TO HIS WILL AND HIS PLAN FOR OUR LIVES. GOD SIMPLY WILL NOT BE DETERRED BY OUR SIMPLY DISOBEDIENCE.

SECOND, JONAH FORGOT BY RUNNING FROM GOD, HE WENT NOWHERE BUT DOWN.IN ADDITION, WHEN WE RUN FROM GOD, WE CANNOT HELP BUT INFLICT HEAVY  PUNISHMENT  ON THOSE WHOM GOD WANT TO BLESS. HOW MANY PARENTS WALK AWAY FROM THEIR CHILD AND SAY, "I CAN DO WHAT I WANT. IT'S MY OWN LIFE"? NO, IT'S NOT. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, GOD TELLS YOU, "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN." IN FACT , "YOU WERE BROUGHT AT A PRICE," AND BOTH YOUR BODY AND SPIRIT BELONG TO GOD             (1 COR. 6:19, 20). YOU CANNOT  LEAVE A CHILD FATHERLESS, AND MOTHERLESS WITHOUT REAPING LIFELONG PAIN AND SUFFERING. NOR CAN YOU SIN AGAINST THE LORD WITHOUT PAYING A TERRIBLE PRICE YOURSELF HURTING OTHERS IN THE PROCESS.

DESPITE THESE AWFUL REALITIES, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT GOD IS FORGIVING-HE OFFERS A SECOND OR THIRD OR FORTIETH OR EVEN A MILLIONTH CHANCE (JON. 3;1). HE KEPT AFTER JONAH AS LONG AS IT SEEMED NECESSARY- AND HE WILL DO THE SAME WITH YOU.