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Did you ever just want to run away? I can assure you that many times I’ve given it serious consideration. When things get tough, when I’m tired, when I don’t want to face reality, when a situation is beyond my control, I can easily start to think of how nice it would be to run away and hide from it all.
While we do need a hiding place, we often make the mistake of hiding in the wrong places. For example, Jonah tried to run away and hide. He didn’t like what God had planned for him to do, so he just went in the opposite direction and jumped on a ship to hide from God’s will in his life.
Lots of people try to hide by running away. They figure if they can just get out of where they are, life will be better and they can run their own show the way they want to. But, like Jonah, they soon learn that the other side of the fence affords no hiding place, because when we run away, we take ourselves with us.
You might think Jonah was well hidden in the belly of that great fish, but that is where he was forced to confront God’s call on his life. Have you noticed when you try to hide by running away, you end up having to face the music in the place where you thought you could hide?
Often God purposely leaves us in tough spots for his eternal purposes. We learn things in the difficult circumstances that we could never learn any other way. I know you’ve heard that before, and perhaps it’s not what you want to hear if you’ve been thinking of running away. But it’s so true. And if you can see God’s eternal purpose in leaving you where you are, then you can endure it.
Maybe you’ve been thinking that running away from your job or a relationship or a responsibility would solve your problem; maybe you don’t see any other way out. But I want to encourage you to know that God understands your desire to hide, and he wants to hide you in the shelter of his love. You don’t have to run away to find a hiding place. Remember, God has plans for you that are good; don’t run away before you see his answer to your problem.
He has promised to give you shelter and to hide you under his wings. You’ll find the comfort and peace you’re looking for when you hide in him.