Jonah - Tarshish here I come Jonah 1:1-2

Good morning all!!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.   TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!
    Ever wonder what you are doing, what your purpose is, then when you find out where you should be headed and what you should be doing --- you don't like it?  I do believe it happens to us all.  How often do we know what God wants us to do, but, we just don't want to do it?!?
   A few years ago, around 852 B.C., there was a man named Jonah, the son of Amittai who God told to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
    Now Jonah means "dove" and Amittai means "truth."  So Jonah was to go to Nineveh and deliver the truth that they may turn away from their wickedness.  Instead, Jonah went the exact opposite way, to Tarnish.  I know you all know the story, but stay with me here.
   Nineveh was the ancient capital of the Assyrian Empire, located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River.  It was the largest city in the world in that day and was a definite threat to the existence of Israel.  Jonah would not have minded going to declare God's judgment, but not God's grace.  Jonah, himself, had judged these people to be unworthy of grace.  The resources say this incident is unusual in the fact that this is the only time a prophet was sent into a heathen nation and it is the only time when a prophet refuses to carry out his commission.
   Nineveh was east of Palestine whereas Tarshish was at the extreme western end of the known world. So, Jonah jumped on a ship, paid his fare, and was planning to escape the presence of the LORD.  In this instance, "presence of the LORD" means away from the land of Israel, the Temple where God dwelt. Jonah is not necessarily thinking he can "escape the omni presence of God," just where God dwells.
   Today I wish to stop here and ask you this question.  Take time to think about it seriously. When was the last time you felt God was telling you to do something?  And, did you do it or flee?  He may have said, in that small still voice, share ME with that person; or stop and render aid; or possibly go buy that person something to eat.  Did you listen and obey that small still inner voice?  Or, as Jonah, flee, thinking it will go away?  Love you all.
   In Christ's Love and Grace
     Johnny