Friday, August 08, 2008

You Can Run But You Can't Hide

It is rumored that, in the 1940’s, on the eve of his fight with Billy Conn, boxer Joe Lewis uttered the phrase as “You can run, but you can’t hide.” While I am neither a boxer nor a “boxing-fan”, it requires little imagination to know that this statement was sent as a warning to Joe’s opponent.
Every time I read the story of Jonah this phrase comes to mind.
At the beginning of Jonah, God calls him to go ‘across the tracks” to a place called Nineveh and preach. The truth is this; God is still speaking to His crown creation today (that would be you and me). God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so “IF” He called people in the Bible days, He’s still calling people today.
God wanted Jonah to go northeast to Nineveh but Jonah decided to go SOUTHWEST to Joppa! Think about that! Jonah went exactly opposite of where God told him to go. I’m wondering if that sound familiar.
Thinking he could “make an escape” from God’s call, he left and with every step he took, he went down. The Bible says or infers, He went “down to Joppa, down to the boat, down in the boat, down in the sea, and ultimately – down into the belly of the fish.” If he truly thought he could get away from God, he certainly had arrived. Jonah possibly felt he was hidden so that not even God can find him. You and I may well think that our lives, our decisions, our conversations, and even our place in life are out of the sight of God. However, never forget that God even knows the number of hair on your head.
IN the final analysis God knew where Jonah was. He had watched every painful step Jonah took yet He NEVER took any action UNTIL Jonah called out to God in prayer.
Whatever is going on in your life remember God knows, even if you are running, and He loves you enough to respond. But He is waiting for you will to ask Him.

Past Blogs