February 25

Morning

But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? — Matt 3:7 BSB

It’s a beautiful thing to walk through a land after the storm has passed—to smell the fresh scent of the herbs, and to see the raindrops sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. This is the state of a Christian, traveling through a world where the storm of judgment has already been spent on Jesus. If there are still a few drops of sorrow falling, they are only from clouds of mercy, and Jesus assures us that they are not meant for our destruction.

But how terrifying it is to witness a storm as it approaches! To see the signs of its coming, to watch the birds lower their wings, to notice the cattle cower in fear, and to observe the sky growing darker, hiding the sun in angry clouds. How awful it is to wait for a hurricane’s arrival, especially one of the fierce tropical storms that uproots trees, tosses rocks, and flattens homes!

Yet, sinner, this is your current condition. The storm hasn’t hit you yet—no burning drops of fire have fallen—but the storm is gathering. The floodgates of God’s wrath are closed for now, but they will soon open. The thunderbolts are stored up, but the storm of divine judgment is on its way, and how dreadful it will be when God, dressed in vengeance, marches forth in His fury!

Where will you hide when that storm comes? Where will you flee for safety? Oh, that mercy may lead you to Christ now! He is set before you freely in the gospel. His wounded side is your shelter. You know you need Him—trust in Him, throw yourself upon His mercy, and the storm of wrath will pass over you forever.

Evening

Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. — Jonah 1:3 BSB

Instead of going to Nineveh as God commanded, Jonah tried to run away by sailing to Joppa. Sometimes God’s servants shrink back from their duties, and what follows? What did Jonah lose by his disobedience?

First, Jonah lost the comforting presence of God’s love. When we serve Jesus faithfully, God is with us, and even if the whole world is against us, what does it matter if God is on our side? But the moment we disobey and seek our own path, we find ourselves adrift without God’s guidance. Then we lament, “Where is God? How could I have been so foolish to avoid His service and lose the brightness of His face?” The price of disobedience is far too high. Jonah learned this bitterly, and we should learn it too.

Secondly, Jonah lost all peace of mind. Sin always robs believers of their comfort. It’s like a poisonous tree, dripping deadly drops that destroy our joy and peace. Jonah had nothing left to cling to in his disobedience. He couldn’t ask for God’s protection because he wasn’t walking in obedience. He couldn’t say, “Lord, I’m struggling in Your service—please help me.” Instead, he was reaping the consequences of his own choices.

Christian, don’t follow in Jonah’s footsteps unless you want to feel the waves and billows of life crashing over your head! You’ll find that running from God is far harder than yielding to His will. In the end, Jonah lost his time—because he had to go to Nineveh anyway. It’s futile to resist God. Yield to Him now.