But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the lord. He went down to Joppa.

Jonah 1:3

Instead of going to Nineveh to preach the Word, as God told him, Jonah disliked the work and went down to Joppa to escape from it. There are occasions when God’s servants shrink from duty. But what is the consequence? What did Jonah lose by his conduct? He lost the presence and comfortable enjoyment of God’s love. When we serve our Lord Jesus as believers should do, God is with us; and though we have the whole world against us, if we have God with us, what does it matter? But the moment we retreat and seek to establish our own agenda, we are at sea without a pilot. Then we will bitterly lament and groan out, “O my God, where have You gone? How could I have been so foolish as to shun Your service, and in this way lose all the bright shinings of Your face? This is a price too high. Let me return to my allegiance, that I may rejoice in Your presence.”

In the next place, Jonah lost all peace of mind. Sin soon destroys a believer’s comfort. It is the poisonous tree whose leaves distill deadly drops that destroy the life of joy and peace. Jonah lost everything upon which he might have drawn for comfort in any other case. He could not plead the promise of divine protection, for he was not in God’s ways; he could not say, “Lord, I meet with these difficulties in the discharge of my duty; therefore help me through them.” He was reaping his own deeds; he was filled with his own ways.

Christian, do not play the Jonah unless you wish to have all the waves and the billows rolling over your head. You will find in the long run that it is far harder to shun the work and will of God than to at once yield yourself to it. Jonah lost his time, for he had to go to Tarshish after all. It is hard to contend with God; let us yield ourselves to Him immediately.

The family reading plan for February 25, 2012

Job 25 , 26 | 1 Corinthians 12

Malachi 4:5-6

Have you ever wondered why a priority of Elijah’s ministry in the last days involves restoring the relationship between fathers and children (v. 6)? Perhaps it’s because the father has a powerful role, both in the development of emotional health in his offspring, and in the shaping of their perceptions about God. By his example, a dad can either draw his children to the Lord or push them away.

Sometimes the easiest way to understand this is to look at negative paternal examples:

• The angry, unpredictable father instills fear in his children and teaches them that God is a tyrant who lashes out unexpectedly.
• A critical, demanding dad makes his kids feel inadequate. They see God as a strict taskmaster who’s never pleased.
• The uninvolved or absent father sends the message that his children are unimportant, and both he and God are too busy for them.
• A macho dad’s tough, uncaring nature leads his children to feel unloved and conclude that the Lord doesn’t love them either.
• A fault-finding or abusive father conveys that his child is worthless and God is full of condemnation.

But a man with Christlike character provides children with a healthy emotional connection, not only to their earthly dad, but also to their heavenly Father.

Think about how your earthly father helped to shape your perception of God. The Bible will reveal whether your understanding of Him is rooted in truth or error. If you were blessed with a father who demonstrated the love and compassion of God, take the time to thank Him for this priceless blessing