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RUN

Pt. 5 The Cure for Running

Jonah 1:15-17 “So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

¹⁷And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

So what does God do when someone runs?

At first, if you’re like me, your thought is of the terrible consequences. “God punishes those who run from Him!” After all, He created a storm and a giant, awful fish to eat Jonah. But here is the amazing truth, and you have to get this.

The storm wasn’t just Jonah’s punishment, it was really Jonah’s salvation. Hear me out. The storm was raging and Jonah accepted the fact that this was God’s wrath being sent to him. So he decided that there was no more running. He stopped running, he turned and faced God and the storm, and he dove into the waves of his consequences. But just below the storm (the wrath of God) lay a fish prepared by God (salvation). It was when Jonah had no other choice that he plunged himself, by faith, into the wrath of God fully expecting death, that he actually experienced the Lord’s salvation.

Now here’s the deal, God hasn’t really changed. The way He dealt with Jonah is how He is still dealing with us. I mean not with a big fish, of course, but the same principles. We run from God, and His wrath is sent towards us. But instead of us receiving the wrath when we stop running, we receive grace and forgiveness. Isn’t that the story of the cross? God’s wrath is poured out on the world. But Jesus steps in and takes the wrath upon Himself, so all that’s left for us is salvation. In the end, what we believe to be an ocean of God’s wrath turns out to be an ocean of forgiveness and acceptance.

Jesus taking God’s wrath was the most extreme act of love the world has ever seen. It has provided us an escape. But the escape is only through Jesus; by putting our trust in Him and what He did for us. We dive into Jesus, who took the wrath of God, and we receive salvation. And not just salvation from God’s wrath, but salvation from our own rebellion as well. The cure for your running always has been and always will be Jesus’ love. So stop running. When you turn and face the consequences of your sin, you will escape the punishment. You will embrace His love and you will live.

About two years ago I went to the funeral of a man I don’t know. The grandpa of two sisters in our student ministry was honored and remembered at this funeral. As I sat in the service, they had several family members and friends stand up to talk about Robert. It was made apparent from the very beginning that Robert was a good man. He loved God, he loved his family, and he loved his friends. As I looked around the auditorium I was impressed to see how many people came to remember Robert. He had lived a life that was impactful. He served in the church, he served in the city, he served in his family, and his life influenced many people, and they had all come to the funeral to honor his memory.

But as the service went on, the Pastor said something that struck me. He said, “We’re not here to make Robert out to look like he was perfect, because he had his flaws.” These girls’ Papaw had times in his own life when he ran from God. But here’s the thing that made him such a good man. In those times that he ran from God, it wasn’t long before he would stop, turn to face Jesus, and make the courageous decision to dive into the ocean of God’s wrath only to find it to be an ocean of His love.

I know you’re not perfect. But Jesus’s grace says you don’t need to be. His grace simply says, “Stop running. I lived perfectly FOR you. I took the wrath FOR you.” So let me ask you a question; When your time has come, and the funeral is yours, will people remember you as a good man or woman who loved God and loved people? I know you’ve already sinned, you’ve already messed up, and maybe your reputation right now is pretty lousy. But listen; that can change. You can be remembered as a man or woman who glorified Jesus if you stop running from God, face the consequences, and live in grace. If you want that, your only hope is in Jesus Christ.

Recently, God has been teaching me what it means to seek Him. I've learned that seeking God is much more than filling my head with more information about Him. Seeking God is a daily pursuit for His manifest presence. This article by John Piper has helped me in explaining what the Bible has to say about seeking the presence of God.

In Christ,

Brandon H.

AUGUST 19, 2009

What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord?

Meditation on Psalm 105:4

Article by John Piper
Scripture: Psalm 105:4 Topic: Hope
Series: Taste & See Articles

Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence.

But aren’t his children always in his presence? Yes and no. Yes in two senses: First, in the sense that God is omnipresent and therefore always near everything and everyone. He holds everything in being. His power is ever-present in sustaining and governing all things.

And second, yes, he is always present with his children in the sense of his covenant commitment to always stand by us and work for us and turn everything for our good. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

When He’s Not with Us

But there is a sense in which God’s presence is not with us always. For this reason, the Bible repeatedly calls us to “seek the Lord . . . seek his presence continually.” God’s manifest, conscious, trusted presence is not our constant experience. There are seasons when we become neglectful of God and give him no thought and do not put trust in him and we find him “unmanifested” — that is, unperceived as great and beautiful and valuable by the eyes of our hearts.

His face — the brightness of his personal character — is hidden behind the curtain of our carnal desires. This condition is always ready to overtake us. That is why we are told to “seek his presence continually.” God calls us to enjoy continual consciousness of his supreme greatness and beauty and worth.

What It Means to Seek

This happens through “seeking.” Continual seeking. But what does that mean practically? Both the Old and New Testaments say it is a “setting of the mind and heart” on God. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God.

“Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God.” (1 Chronicles 22:19)

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mindson things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1–2)

A Conscious Choice

This setting of the mind is the opposite of mental coasting. It is a conscious choice to direct the heart toward God. This is what Paul prays for the church: “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 3:5). It is a conscious effort on our part. But that effort to seek God is a gift from God.

We do not make this mental and emotional effort to seek God because he is lost. That’s why we would seek a coin or a sheep. But God is not lost. Nevertheless, there is always something through which or around which we must go to meet him consciously. This going through or around is what seeking is. He is often hidden. Veiled. We must go through mediators and around obstacles.

The heavens are telling the glory of God. So we can seek him through that. He reveals himself in his word. So we can seek him through that. He shows himself to us in the evidences of grace in other people. So we can seek himthrough that. The seeking is the conscious effort to get through the natural means to God himself — to constantly set our minds toward God in all our experiences, to direct our minds and hearts toward him through the means of his revelation. This is what seeking God means.

Obstacles to Avoid

And there are endless obstacles that we must get around in order to see him clearly, and so that we can be in the light of his presence. We must flee spiritually dulling activities. We must run from them and get around them. They are blocking our way.

We know what makes us vitally sensitive to God’s appearances in the world and in the word. And we know what dulls us and blinds us and makes us not even want to seek him. These things we must move away from and go aroundif we would see God. That is what seeking God involves.

And as we direct our minds and hearts Godward in all our experiences, we cry out to him. This too is what seeking him means.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

“If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy . . . ” (Job 8:5)

Seeking involves calling and pleading. O Lord, open my eyes. O Lord, pull back the curtain of my own blindness. Lord, have mercy and reveal yourself. I long to see your face.

Humility Essential

The great obstacle to seeking the Lord is pride. “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him” (Psalm 10:4). Therefore, humility is essential to seeking the Lord.

The great promise to those who seek the Lord is that he will be found. “If you seek him, he will be found by you” (1 Chronicles 28:9). And when he is found, there is great reward. “Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). God himself is our greatest reward. And when we have him, we have everything. Therefore, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

Seeking with you,

Pastor John

Jodi Maxwell has been attending Calvary Baptist Church since January 2010 and resides in Grand Prairie, TX with her husband and three boys. During the month, Jodi volunteers in the Park and Refinery areas of Kid City as well as supporting several of Calvary's electronic communication avenues. In her spare time, Jodi enjoys keeping her family busy exploring DFW's many cultural attractions and parks.

Life After Miscarriage

I prayed for you before I wrote this. I asked God to speak through my words to the depths of your soul. He sees you, all of you. Whole you and shattered you. Then and now you. I pray that these fumbled sentences can encourage you as you embrace this new life before you.

Our family of five is really a family of seven. In 2013, we lost two pregnancies; yes, in the same year. I don't want to focus on the losses, but rather what life is like after you've carried a child (or children) back to the Creator. Please know that grief will accompany you now like a shadow that looms large at times or quietly follows behind barely noticeable. At times, especially early on, grief will seem to threaten every fiber of your existence. You'll wonder how you can continue under the a burden that seems to suffocate you at every turn. Without coming to know a Sovereign God many feel it is nearly impossible.

God promises He will sustain you (Psalm 3:5). Some days you will feel like you are being hit with wave after wave of suffocating grief, but He will not allow you to drown. Cling to the One who controls the storm (Luke 8:22-25). Other days you will do all in your power not to think or feel before collapsing under the exhaustion; He will renew you (Jeremiah 31:25). As you continue to trust God to fulfill His promises to you, You will feel His presence more each day as He takes what is broken and makes it beautiful again (Isaiah 66:9).

At one point, I remember feeling very numb, disconnected. I didn't know where we go from there. I participated in a bible study through Hope Mommies and found great comfort in studying topics like biblical mourning, where our babies are now, and how God has now given me a platform to share the gospel with others. I realized that just as the Father chose Mary to carry the Savior, the almighty God chose us to carry our babies. We now walk this path for a specific purpose.

I learned that our babies, no matter how long s/he resided in the womb, has a soul that lives on in Heaven. They are whole, happy, and bathed in light praising the God who formed them. I love imagining that when I am singing praises to the God who sustains me, that I am singing at the same time as my children in glory.

I know you have questions and I encourage you to ask them. God isn't afraid of questions and looks forward to revealing His truth to you. He's happy to dig into the trenches with you and show you His answers. They're there for you to discover. Maybe you are angry with God or feel completely abandoned. It's not God who's disappeared, but a sense of hope that has been stolen from you. God sent Jesus to restore our hope for a life lived in perfect harmony in heaven. He's not gone; He's simply waiting for you to seek Him out. I wish I could help you feel Him because He is there.

And mothers, you aren't grieving alone. Fathers are grieving in their own way too. My husband wants you to know that you should allow yourself to feel all those emotions - anger, sadness, grief, confusion are OK. You don't have to fix this, you just have to roll with it. Remember not to push each other away even when it hurts. Find new ways to connect. Pray - a lot. This is a season that requires significant prayer to get through. Allow your family and friends to support you and love you. If you are struggling with the loss of a pregnancy or child, you don't have to carry your grief alone. Even though our journeys are very personal, we are all part of a group (1 in 4 in fact) we never imagined would hit so close to home.

Community, how do you support the parents struggling to find the new normal?

Meet the physical needs. Meals, cleaning, errands, etc. are areas where you can serve one another. Often parents who are grieving cannot articulate what they need, so think creatively. A gift card for delivery or carry out can provide a meal. Offer to mow a lawn, wash dishes, vacuum/sweep/dust. Your friends are physically exhausted and completely spent.

Meet the emotional need. So many mothers and fathers suffer in silence because they don't want to carry the burden of reliving the story, but they need to know that you recognize they have lost someone they deeply love. You cannot lessen the pain, but you can stand alongside grieving parents and let them know you are there. A note, a gift left on a doorstep, a hug, a call.

Meet the spiritual needs. Fight for them. Go to battle for them. Our common enemy will use these fragile times to build a stronghold. Pray for those who are grieving since they often cannot bring to mind the words to pray for themselves. God knows what they need better than they do. After all he called them for such a time as this. None of us know what God has planned, but we can stand firm on his promise that He he does have a plan for this season. Pray that He makes clear what these parents need to know.

Pray that they feel anchored by hope.

Faith | Hope | Love

Run Pt. 5 | Jonah: The Astonishing True Story

So what does God do when someone runs?