We’ve all run from God at one time or another. We’ve all said, “No” to God. No I’m not ready to become a Christian. No I don’t want to stop doings that I do. In one way or in one area or another we’ve all run from God. And what we discover in the lives of those who run from God is that over time a certain pattern develops:

· They run to the most dangerous places.

· Eventually things go really bad for them.

· They end up hurting the people closest to them.

· Then, God intervenes in their lives.

Today we will begin looking at the confessions Jonas made as he prayed from inside the belly of a great big fish. Maybe it will encourage you never to run from God or if you’re presently running from God I hope it will encourage you to stop running. One way or another you’re going to learn that you can’t run from God.

As you probably already know God called Jonas to preach to the people in the city of Nineveh but he decided to say no and run from God in the opposite direction. Eventually God intervened in His life and literally sent a big fish to swallow him. At this point Jonas thought his life was over, he thought he was dead, that he would be buried at sea. So he decided to do the only that he could do, he decided to pray. Jonas probably thought what many of us who have run from God have thought, How I’m I going to pray now? After all, I’m in these circumstances as a result of my disobedience, because I decided not to listen, because I decided to run from God.

Jonas 2:1-2 NIV

1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. 2He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

God Listens To And Answers The Prayers Of Those Who Are Running From Him.

One of the lessons we learn from Jonas’ prayer is that if the only reason you’re praying is because you have no further options God will still listen and answer your prayer. God could have said to Jonah, I gave you an opportunity now it’s too late, this problem is of your making now you fix it. One thing that is so difficult for us to understand is that God’s greatest desire is to have a relationship with us, that if the only reason that you’re talking to him is because it’s your only option that’s ok with Him. You see, God’s priority is not to get payback; God’s main priority is to get you back. He paid a very high price for this relationship. He gave up His Son’s life for you. Do you really think He’s going to give up on you now?

The problem is that we think that in order to establish or to reestablish a relationship with God we have to fix some things first. The God news is that God want’s to establish or to reestablish a relationship with us no matter where we’ve been, no matter what we’ve done and no matter how long we’ve been running. We think that we first have to make some changes to earn our way back to God; nothing could be further from the truth. God will take you just the way you are. He paid a very high price to have a relationship with you to now allow your situation to become an impediment. God is never angry when we return to Him, on the contrary God is always attentive to the prayers of those who have made a mess of their lives.

It’s simple, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve be running or how far you’ve run from God, if you pray to Him, he will listen and even answer your prayer.

Heavenly Father it gives me so much security to know that you’re always there for me no matter where I am, You love me and are always willing to forgive, that Jonah’s lesson would reaffirm my relationship with you and that it would teach me to never flee from you.