Jonah 1:3 A Runaway Heart

3 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.

Jonah's decision to head to Tarshish was a physical demonstration of where his heart was. It also effectively closed his heart toward God. This made him want to get as far away as possible from Nineveh or anything that God wanted him to do. How true to life this is. When we are upset with someone and our heart grows distant to them, we find many ways to keep them out of our lives. Jonah choose to go the opposite direction of where God was sending him. A bit childish perhaps, but his intent was very clear: he wanted nothing to do with what God wanted.

Jonah's disobedience not only put him at odds with God but it also cost him personally. He spent his time and energy travelling to Joppa. He spent his money to pay the fare for the boat headed to Tarshish. He essentially put his life on hold to disobey God. You may wonder at the great lengths that Jonah went to disobey God, and yet how many of us know people that have done just that.

Do you know someone that has run from God in some way? Pray that their heart will soften and they will begin heading back towards God. Has your heart grown distant from disobeying God in some way? Pray that God will draw your heart towards His good and pleasing will.