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September 6, 2024 | ||
Dear Church Family, Have you ever tried to hide or run away from something you didn’t want to do? I’m reading through Jonah right now and he’s the first person I think of when I think of running away. In fact, Jonah didn’t just try to run away from the job God gave him, but tried to run away from God Himself. It mentions three times in the first chapter that he is fleeing from “the presence of the Lord.” (1:3, 4, 10). The first thing I notice is that God’s will for Jonah couldn’t be clearer.
Sometimes we claim we don’t know what God’s will is or don’t understand what He wants us to do. The problem is, just like Jonah, we often know exactly what He wants us to do. There are times, of course, where God’s will is harder to understand, but most of the time His will is clear from His Word. The second thing I notice is that Jonah simply didn’t want to obey God’s command. In fact, he heads the exact opposite direction. That’s why he foolishly tries to flee from God’s presence, because he doesn’t want to obey. We find out later that is because his heart doesn’t match God’s heart:
Is there anything you know God has clearly communicated to you that you’re running from because you simply don’t want to obey? Now is the time to stop running and start obeying. Because the last thing I see in chapter 1 is that running from God is costly. Jonah not only puts his life at risk, but a whole group of sailors. A ship is nearly torn to pieces because of Jonah’s disobedience. God has to appoint a great fish to save Jonah’s life. Disobedience is costly. What are you running from? What has God clearly called you to that you’ve been ignoring or hiding from? Choose today to stop running and start obeying. God’s way is always best! –Dave Bronleewe What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Church Potluck: We’re having our next church potluck on Sunday, September 29th, right after the morning worship service. Come celebrate with us and bring one of your favorite dishes to share with the group. Life Groups: If you’re interested in joining a life group, we have several to choose from. You can check them out here: https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups Request Prayer: It’s important for us to be praying for each other as a church! If you ever need prayer, we would love to come alongside you. You can always turn in a prayer request on Sundays using the Connection Card, but you can also submit a prayer request online at any time: Upcoming Dates: Prayer & Praise Night (October 6th) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | ||
Running from God is costly
