Have you ever felt hopeless in a situation? It’s fight or flight? Have you ever run away? Why do people run from God? Why do people hide? Is it some sort of fear? Maybe pride. Maybe nervousness about the unknown. We’re continuing our Can’t Cancel Hope series where we look at people in the Bible who were in dark, hidden, isolated, places… far from hope. Today we are looking at Jonah. He went from the belly of a boat, to the belly of a fish, all because he ran from God.

Are you running from God in any part of your life? 

Follow along here:

Jonah 1:3-16

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.

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. 

Running from God 

…..is hearing and intentionally not doing.

What happens when we run from God?

1 – It will cost you.

2 – Bring harm to you and others

3 – Favor Follows

Finding Hope When Feeling Lost – Faith Check

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

** If we have faith that God is the creator of the water and the creator of land…

… Then He is the creator of where we are at and the creator of where we are headed.

** We find Hope by proclaiming Jesus is the author of my situation, and He is writing the chapter

!! He is just waiting on me to start moving forward !!

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

1 – God will Provide

God will resource you. You have all that you need right now. Focus on what you can do now, not what you can’t do. Take actions on what you can do, then pray for God to show up on the rest.

2 – Supernatural Positioning

The fish was not punishment. The fish was actually supernatural positioning. The hardest things in your life right now, become the foundation of where you are headed. 

Your faith is being stretched. Your hope is growing. 

3 – Heart Change

Jonah 2:8-9

“Those who cling to worthless idols

   turn away from God’s love for them.

But I, with shouts of grateful praise,

   will sacrifice to you.

What I have vowed I will make good.

   I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Did you catch it? Jonah praised and proclaimed – WHO God is and WHAT God does, before he experienced it.

Your next steps today – Take inventory. Write out how Jesus has provided for you.