The other day I read an article about a man that committed a crime in 1970. Authorities have only now apprehended him after he’s been on the run for over 40 years. Very few of us can understand the enormous weight of running from one’s past this long. He must’ve been paranoid beyond belief, constantly looking over his shoulder and wondering if he was being watched for all those years. Although we haven’t committed a crime, if we’re honest, some of us may know a little something about being on the run…not literally but figuratively. We may not have anyone chasing us physically; but in every other way, some of us have been on the run a long time.
Proverbs 14:12 tells us that there’s a path before each person, and this path seems right, but it ends in death and destruction. This allows us to know that the last place anyone should ever want to be is on a path that SEEMs right, but ain’t right. All of us are on a journey, and because of what our Lord and Savior has accomplished on the cross, many of us are on a spiritual journey in Christ. We continue to learn about him, and if we’re wise, we’ll begin to implement what we’ve learned and make changes in our lives. There can be no doubt that anything we do to line ourselves up with the example of Christ is going to add to us and greatly benefit not just our existences, but the lives of those we influence. We accept this truth in just about every aspect of life, but when it comes to dating, we turn a blind eye.
In the lives of many single women, they meet someone they think is a perfect fit, and immediately they try them on for size. Whether it’s because of the way the man looks, his educational background or his socio-economic status, we take the plunge. Many sisters do this without hitting the pause button to check-in with God. Mistakes on a grand scale can occur when anyone does this. Things get rocky in the relationship, and because we didn’t take the time to hear from God, we start running; almost to the degree of hiding out from Him so we don’t have to face the reality that we’ve made a mistake.
The prophet Jonah was infamous for running from God’s assignment to preach the Word to the city of Nineveh. But like so many of us, he found out the hard way that trying to outrun God is a futile and impossible attempt. Many of us know the story and how it ends with Jonah. He bought a ticket to board a ship, hoping to escape God’s assignment, but God hurled a powerful wind at sea. The sailors on the ship threw Jonah overboard because they knew the storm was a result of Jonah’s sin. Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a whale. He had to face what he’d done, and he cried out to God for help.
Jonah wasn’t perfect and even with his arrogance, God never let him go – and He’ll never let us go, no matter how much we try to run away from Him. Like Jonah, we make mistakes, but because of Christ and what he accomplished on the cross, our sins will be forgiven when we seek the Father in humility. He hears our cries, and He hears our prayers.
Heavenly Father tells us in Jeremiah 29:11(NLT), “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” God’s plans are often significantly different than what we may have planned for ourselves. We must yield to His Will, and not run. We have to face the reality that He knows best, and we must seek His forgiveness for not trusting in this truth.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“You Don’t Have to Run from God’s Plan” written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2019. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.