Jonah the Reluctant Prophet

Pressure has a way of stirring strange thoughts in us. When home, work, or school becomes too heavy, escape can look strangely appealing. Jonah knew that feeling. God said, “Go to Nineveh,” and Jonah headed the other way, boarding a ship for Tarshish and trying to sleep his way through a storm he himself had caused.

This Sunday looks a little different. With our service canceled due to weather, we’re sharing a message preached in this very church on December 5th, 1982, by Pastor David Clardie. Though delivered more than forty years ago, the truth woven through "Jonah the Reluctant Prophet" is as timely as ever. We follow Jonah through four scenes—Jonah in the storm, Jonah in the fish, Jonah in the city, and Jonah with the Lord—and discover how God pursues both the runaway believer and the violent city. Pastor David helps us see the difference between the “sleep of escape” and the rest that comes from trusting God, and reminds us that storms, interruptions, and unexpected detours often become the places where God speaks most clearly.

God asks you the same question He asked Jonah: "Where are you going, and will you go where I send you?" Listen in, and let “Jonah the Reluctant Prophet” call you from running away to running with God.

Recorded December 5th, 1982
Message by Pastor David Clardie