Dr. Ron Sumners
January 4, 2004
When I was in grade school, I watched my favorite television program, “The Fugitive,” every week. David Jansen played the part of a medical doctor named Richard Kimble who had been falsely accused of killing his wife.
He was sentenced to life in prison but escaped while being carried there on a train. After escaping, his goal was to find a one-armed man whom he had seen leaving the scene of the murder. The story was made into a movie a few years ago and starred Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.
At sometime during each weekly episode, the fugitive would almost get caught by the police, led by Lt. Gerard. Yet he would always manage to escape somehow and continue to run. He was always moving and always on the run. He lived in fear of being identified and recaptured.
The program was very popular and looking back today with a little maturity, I think I understand why; we are all fleeing something. We look over our shoulder to see if we have been discovered playing the part we have assumed; afraid that the real person inside will be discovered and that we will not measure up or that people will discover that we are not who we pretend to be.
A lot of people spend their whole lives running from God the way the fugitive ran from the police. They are convinced that God is out to get them. They do not want to face God, talk about God, or even think about God. They understand that God will demand things from them that they are not willing to give; and, therefore, they run.
Others know God but run from what he wants them to do. Such was the case of Jonah! Perhaps Jonah is the best biblical example of a man who ran from God.
Because it is true that we run from God, and that truth is born out in the story of Jonah, we must ask the question: “Why would a person run from God?” That is an especially intriguing question for those of us who know God and claim to love Him. Why would we disobediently run from His call on our lives? From Jonah we can learn answers about running from God that apply to our lives today.
When a person runs from God, he has heard from God. There has to be a reason for the running. When did Jonah begin running from God? He began to flee only after God spoke to him. He knew that it was God speaking to him. Verse one says that it was the “Word of the Lord” that came to him. We might expect a person who did not know God to run from that kind of experience. Most lost people I know who are running from God are doing so because they have had a definite experience with God. They have come close enough to the Holy Spirit’s conviction to know that uncomfortable feeling about their sin and lost condition.
A few years ago, Brother Ed was in the church late one evening and heard a noise. He investigated and discovered a young woman who had been staying in the church at night. She was running from her parents because she was not willing to live by their rules and she had no place to sleep. Brother Ed called me and we tried to help her. She was running because she wasn’t willing to abide by the rules set down by her parents. Running was easier than obedience!
Many lost people are running from God because they think He has discovered them doing something wrong and they are not willing to live by His rules. Running is easier than obedience. They run because they do not want to pay the price for their sin.
I was doing a religious survey years ago and I especially remember talking to a man who was obviously running from God. He was extremely pleasant until I introduced myself and informed him of my purpose. His whole countenance changed. He wanted nothing to do with the survey or with me. He would not even give me his name. He slammed the door with this retort, “Tell God I’m not buying!” He was obviously running from God. That depth of emotion can only come as the result of an encounter.
Running from God might be understandable in lost people, but surely believers do not run from God! Sure, they do! I do! You do! All of us run from God some of the time if not all of the time. When God’s Holy Spirit convicts us of something we should not be doing or something that we should be doing, how many times do we ignore that conviction? Is that not running from God?
Conviction is always painful because it usually means change. In Jonah’s case it meant giving up a lifelong prejudice and hate for the people of Nineveh. It meant realizing that God cared for those people just like He cared for Israel. God’s love and Jonah’s hate created an inconsistency that could only be resolved if Jonah was willing to change. Jonah did not want to change. Change is difficult and painful.
For many of us, like Jonah, it is far easier to run from the strong conviction of the Holy Spirit than it is to allow for Him to change us for the better. If this pattern of running is established as a young Christian it is easily continued.
When a person runs from God, he believes he can escape from God. The Word had come to Jonah and he knew what God required. But notice in verse 3 the use of the conjunction – “but.” The Webster’s Dictionary gives this definition to the word: “on the contrary; however; except.”
How many times is it possible to look into the faces of lost people and see potential leaders for the cause of Christ, but never go to them? Christ says, “Go!” However; except, but we run from God’s instruction. Such a man came to Jesus in the New Testament. We call him the Rich Young Ruler. He came saying, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said, “Keep the commandments.” He replied, “I’ve done that.” Then Jesus said, “One thing you lack; go sell all that you have and give it to the poor and then come and follow Me.” The Bible tells us that he went away sorrowfully because he had great riches.
He was close – but! He was almost saved – but! He wanted to be committed – but! It makes no difference what you put in front of the conjunction. As long as we have an exception or a qualification or a conjunction as the reply to God’s command; we are running! I read somewhere that too many of us are “Billy Goat Christians” – butting all the time! One day we will stand before God and He will show us what He had planned for our life and the wonderful things we could have accomplished – but!
The scripture tells us that Jonah made his own decision to run. He alone, was responsible. If you choose to reject God’s will for your life, you are responsible!
Everything that Jonah did was opposite to God’s will. Jonah rose up. God’s will cannot be accomplished by first rising up. You must first bow down. Jesus bowed in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, “Not My will but Thine be done.” He did not rise up until He first bowed down.
If you have heard God speak to your life, you may be like Jonah. You may have risen up and walked away. You may think that you can escape from God, but the Bible tells us that “every knee will bow!” (Phil. 2:10) Don’t rise up and flee. Bow down and accept Him as Lord and Savior of your life!
Jonah knew the Lord but he still rose up to flee to Tarshish and from the presence of the Lord.
Maybe personalizing verses 1-3 would cause us to realize how we run from God. “But Ron Sumners rose up to flee to an associational meeting and from the presence of the Lord.” “Deacon Smith rose up to flee to his business and from the presence of the Lord.” “Teacher Doe rose up to flee to the Bridge Club and from the presence of the Lord.”
Are there places you go where Christ is not Lord? Where is your Tarshish? It does not have to be a club or a bar; it could be your home, your job, or your friends. It could be the golf course or tennis court. Are there times that you rise up and simply leave God behind?
The Psalmist was right when he said in Psalm 139:7-11, “Where shall I go to flee from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Hades, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell into the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall your hand lead me and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely, the darkness will cover me,’ even the night shall be light about me.”
We can never escape God by running. That is true whether we are lost or saved.
When a person runs from God, he is in for a costly journey. When Jonah entered the ship, he had to pay the fare. You can choose to run from God, but you will have to pay the price and there will always be a price to pay. If you go Satan’s route, you will have to pay Satan’s toll!
The Bible describes Jonah’s journey. He went down to Joppa. He went down to the ship. He went down farther into the ship. And finally, he went down into the belly of a great fish. If you choose to run from God, you will spend your life going down!
When you run from God, you are headed for stormy water with no anchor. The winds and storms of life will toss you in every direction. Life will become one contention after another instead of a joy.
Jonah paid dearly for his efforts to run from God. It was a miserable experience from start to finish. He was never satisfied until he came back to God.
You cannot run from God. He will be wherever you go. There are some of you here today who are weary of the flight. You have been running from God’s claims on your life for so long that you have forgotten how to really live. You are weary unto death.
Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Why don’t you stop running? Jonah only found rest and peace when he came back to the Lord. That is true for you too! Exchange your turmoil for peace. Exchange your frustration for joy. Surrender! Bow down! Stop running!
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