When God Says “Go to Nineveh”
A few years ago, I stood in line for something I did not want to do. It was called the Sky Coaster—a ride that straps you in, hoists you up several stories, and then drops you into a giant freefall swing. My stomach dropped long before the ride did. I remember thinking, Why did I say yes to this?
We’ve all had those moments. Someone asks us to do something, but everything in us says, I don’t want to do this.
That’s exactly where Jonah found himself.
God’s Clear Command
“The word of the Lord came to Jonah… ‘Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.’” – Jonah 1:1-2
God couldn’t have been clearer: Go to Nineveh.
But Jonah didn’t want to. And honestly, who could blame him? Nineveh was the capital of Assyria—Israel’s enemies. They were known for their brutality. Nahum 3 describes the city as “full of lies and plunder,” with “heaps of corpses” from their violence.
Jonah had every reason to hate Nineveh. Yet God’s call was direct: Go there. Preach to them.
When God’s Commands Don’t Match Our Feelings
What do you do when God asks you to do something you don’t feel like doing?
Forgive, even though you don’t want to.
Honor your spouse, even when they don’t deserve it.
Love your wife as Christ loved the church, even when she’s been critical.
We often practice selective hearing with God. We hear the parts we like. We tune out the parts we don’t. Parents know exactly what this is like with their kids!
But God’s commands aren’t suggestions. He isn’t a consultant offering advice. When we call Jesus Lord, we’re saying He’s in charge of our lives. Our job isn’t to like what He says—it’s to obey what He says.
The real test comes when God tells us to go to our own “Nineveh.”
Jonah’s Escape Plan
Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah ran in the opposite direction—to Tarshish. Nineveh was violent and dangerous. Tarshish was safe, wealthy, and comfortable—think retirement community by the sea.
Isn’t that what we often do? God calls us into something hard, but we run toward what feels easier. We run because of fear—fear of rejection, embarrassment, or discomfort.
But here’s the truth: It is better to be in Nineveh with God than in Tarshish without Him.
Running Brings Storms
Jonah’s escape didn’t just affect him. God hurled a storm at the ship he boarded, and the sailors around him were caught in the chaos.
That’s how sin works. It doesn’t only affect us—it affects the people around us. Some of you grew up in someone else’s storm, and you know how true this is.
Eventually Jonah admitted the truth: he was running from God. And in one of the most famous parts of the story, the sailors threw him overboard, and a giant fish swallowed him.
It sounds mythical—but the point is powerful. What Jonah feared in Nineveh was nothing compared to what he faced running from God.
Are You Running?
The story of Jonah isn’t just about a man and a fish. It’s about us. It’s about the ways we run when God calls us into hard places.
But here’s the good news: even when we run, God chases.
The message of the gospel is this—we run, but God pursues us in love. The storms, the interruptions, the wake-up calls—they’re not punishments, they’re invitations.
So the question today is simple: Are you running from God?
Stop long enough to let Him catch you. Because whatever He’s calling you to, Nineveh included, it’s better to be with Him than anywhere without Him.
