Running From God

Have you ever run from God? Did you know that God wanted you to do something (that you didn’t think you’d like), and you went the other way?

If so, you are like quite a few men who went before us:

Adam—sinned, ran from God, hiding in the bushes, wearing fig leaves

Cain—first son on earth, killed his little brother and hid from God

Jonah—instead of going to Nineveh, he got on a boat to Tarshish. He ended up in a fish’s belly with seaweed around his head before he gave up running from God.

Saul (later renamed Paul)—ran against God, persecuting Christians before he was turned around to bless those servants of God

I recently read about a woman who didn’t want to be a pastor’s wife, so she turned her back on the Lord for a time. (Interestingly, she did end up being a pastor’s wife. I’m sure she found out it wasn’t nearly as bad as what she had feared.)

You probably know someone who got out of church and acted like the Prodigal Son for a while, then got right with God, back in church, and started to serve God.

Why do people run from God?

There’s a one-word answer:

Sin.

• We run when we are ashamed.
• We run when we are rebellious.
• We run because we got caught doing wrong.
• We run when we don’t want to do what we already know is right.
• We run when we doubt God’s wisdom.
• We run when we choose to sin outright.
• We run because we are not trusting God to lead us.

The Bible says it’s foolish to run from God.

It’s foolish because:

God is everywhere (Psalm 139:7-10, Jeremiah 23:24).

God always sees us (Proverbs 15:3).

God sees what we are trying to hide (Isaiah 29:15).

Trusting God will keep us from running from Him.

Consider these well-known verses:

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones (Proverbs 3:5-8).

The remedy for running is trusting. It’s trusting the all-wise, all-powerful, all-knowing, and omnipresent God to know what is best for us. It’s trusting in His character and His goodness. It’s asking Him to guide us in His will. It’s acknowledging God. The only thing we’re to run from is evil. The reward is health—spiritual health.

Let’s be known as people who run to God, not from Him.

Let’s be known as people who trust God to lead us in the right paths.

Let’s run from evil—and have healthy “spiritual bones.”

God bless you.