Running Away

Running away – from somewhere, or something, or someone – has been the basis of many great films, books and stories. And the Bible is no exception.

The story of Jonah, the ‘belly of the whale’ guy, is a running away story. God told him to go to the city of Nineveh to do some preaching to the wayward people there, but he got up and went in the exact opposite direction, paying his fare to travel by boat to Tarshish to get, in his mind, ‘as far away from God as I can get.’ But during the journey a storm whipped up, and Jonah ended up getting thrown overboard, only to be swallowed by a huge fish. Once vomited back onto shore, he decided to head straight to Nineveh, where God wanted him to go I the first place!

Jesus told a running away story, which has become known as the story of the Prodigal Son. A young man asked his father for his inheritance early, then took the money and ran – to a distant country where he lived the high life and spent all the money. He got to the point of being so poor and destitute, working in a pig sty, that he was eating pig slops to survive. Even though he felt he’d burnt his bridge, he decided to head home to face the music and see if he couldn’t get some small improvement in his living conditions.

Imagine his surprise when his father, who had seen this insolent, disrespectful son run away from home and waste all the inheritance, welcomed him back with the open arms of forgiveness, and immediately threw a big welcome home shindig!

Many of us try and run from God like Jonah did. I sure did. As soon as I got married and left home, not only did my church attendance go from weekly to never, but my faith went out the window. I lived much like the prodigal son, wasting my time and money seeking pleasure in ways and on things that were always only temporary. I hurt many people along the way with my selfish, indulgent living. Almost destroyed myself.

Today I meet lots of people who perhaps attended a Sunday School as kids, or who went to church for a while in their younger days, who used to pray and believe and seek to live a Jesus-following life, who have long since abandoned this aspect of their lives. Turned away, or ran away, from God.

Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son for any of us who had run away from God. The father in the story is an image of God, who is just waiting for us to return, and as we do, we are welcomed with open arms and completely forgiven. The relationship is restored, and celebrated.

Perhaps you’re on the run now. Running away from God.

Psalm 139 tells us that no matter where we go, we can never get away from God’s Spirit, never get away from God’s presence. Other parts in the Bible assure us that we can never get away from God’s love.

So turn around. Turn back to God. Say a prayer. Dust off your Bible. Find a suitable church.

Go on, go home. There’s a warm welcome awaiting you.

www.salvationarmy.org.au/mornington