If you’re hiding from God, you’re never going to reach the fullness of what He has for you. In this talk from Sadie Robertson Huff, she encourages those of us hiding from God to instead follow and obey Him, pushing against the impulse to run in the opposite direction and pursue ourselves.
Key Takeaway
It's one thing to say you believe in God—even the demons believe in God. It's another thing to follow God. To be obedient to God. To respond to the voice of God and the call of God on your life.
Here is a sobering truth for even those of us who are walking with God. Some of us are doing everything we can to hide parts of ourselves, even all of ourselves, from God. We see it as self-preservation or even disguising shame that we've held on to for a long time. But there's a problem: in a world searching for meaning and truth, a world wherein God wants to use you to shine his light into the darkness when you stay hiding, people are going to stay lost.
The good news today is that God is pursuing both the lost and hiding.
Read Jonah 1:1-3.
Jonah was a prophet, someone who heard from God. According to this text, God called Jonah to go to Ninevah, a city of destruction and sin.
Jonah knew the way he was supposed to go, but he ignored the Lord's call and went the other way.
Why was Jonah running? He disagreed with God's plan for him. He knew God was merciful and compassionate, but he didn't agree that the people of Ninevah should be shown such kindness.
A lot of us are running from God for many different reasons; it could be out of fear, anxiety, complacency, lack of care, lack of confidence, lack of faith, etc.
Read Jonah 1:4-6.
You can't hide from God.
Jonah, in full disobedience, sat in the storm, sleeping, casually disobeying God.
We can get so comfortable even in disobedience because we ignore our convictions so often that we find ways to sleep in the chaos. We find things that mimic peace.
The same waves that once rocked your consciousness are the waves you're sleeping in.
But the truth is, sin doesn't become less sinful because it feels less bad. Sin doesn't become less sinful because you get used to it. It sears your consciousness so that you can sleep through the night.
We should be afraid when we're able to sleep through the waves.
Read Jonah 1:7-10.
We tend to think that just because someone fears the Lord and says they believe in God, they're good. But in this case, Jonah deliberately disobeyed God.
Some of us are so confident to proclaim God while publicly disobeying Him and living whatever life we want to live.
It's one thing to say you believe in God—even the demons believe in God. It's another thing to follow God. To be obedient to God. To respond to the voice of God and the call of God on your life.
The call of God on your life is not just about you. It wasn't just about Jonah—it was about Ninevah. God was pursuing Jonah and also pursuing Ninevah. Ninevah was filled with 120,000 people who didn't know their left from their right, and God wanted Jonah to come out of hiding to come after them.
If we fear and obey Him, we are meant to come out of hiding, obey Him, be a part of His plan, and actually go and save the lost.
What does it mean to say we believe if our heart doesn't break for the things that break the Lord's?
Our heartbreak must move us to do something about it. There must be an action.
It's one thing to say it, think about it, dress like it, and it's another thing to be it. It's one thing to be at Passion, in a room with thousands worshipping God, and it's another thing to go back to your campus, job, or city and for your heart to truly break for the people around you and to be a light in the darkness, using God's power to speak to and pray for people.
God is coming after you and the people you're going back to.
When you become a believer, you're on a mission to go and help find others.
Read Jonah 1:11-13.
We are afraid to be found because we're afraid of the confrontation there is to be found.
Right in the place where Jonah deserved to die, he was swept up in God's grace and mercy. Jonah was swallowed by a big fish for three days, and his heart returned to God. After ending up in Ninevah, God used him, and revival happened.
The same grace of God can capture you. You don't have to get swallowed by a big fish for three days; Jesus was sent to die and be resurrected after three days.
Jonah had a redirection, resurrection, and a new opportunity. The same can happen for you.
But Jonah's heart didn't change.
Because of Jesus, when you die to your sins and are alive in Him, you are completely raised into a new life. It's not you trying to do it right this time; you're doing it as a new person with the mind and heart of Christ. It's not all on you to get it right.
Will your heart be right before Him?
Discussion Questions
- Take an honest account of your life. Are you hiding from God? If you are, how did you get to the place of hiding? If you're not hiding, recount a time when you were. How was your life different?
- Is God calling you somewhere that you don't want to go or to do something you don't want to do? If yes, share what that calling is.
- Why are you most likely to run from God's calling? Would it be fear, anxiety, complacency, lack of care, lack of confidence, lack of faith, or something else?
- Have you ever gotten comfortable with your sin—sleeping away any conviction? If yes, how was your relationship with God at that time?
- Read James 2:14-26. Is there someone in your life that claims to fear the Lord, but actively disobeys Him? What does the book of James tell us about faith and works?
- Would you consider yourself obedient to God? What in your life is evidence of your obedience?
- It's easy to get caught up in our own lives, believing that it's all about God's plan for our own lives. But Sadie challenges us to look outside of ourselves to see that God uses us to impact people around us. How is your life influencing the lives of others for the sake of the Gospel?
- Do you find yourself promising to change after big spiritual moments, only to end up pursuing the same sins months later? If yes, reflect on Sadie's teaching about deep spiritual transformation, and ask yourself if you've experienced radical life change since encountering God. If you have experienced a heart transformation, reflect on how different your life is now.
- How do you wrestle with the tension of sanctification—knowing that you will continue to struggle with sin for the rest of your life while being called to higher?
- Read back through the book of Jonah, and journal any new revelations you have.
Scripture References
