Day 3: Running From God's Presence

Devotional:

"Where can I flee from Your presence?" David asked rhetorically, knowing the answer: nowhere. Yet like Adam and Eve hiding among the trees, we still try. Jonah fled from God's presence, and in doing so, he fled from joy, peace, and gladness—the very things found in intimacy with God.

When we run from God, we're not running toward freedom; we're running toward misery. We trade the fullness of joy in His presence for the emptiness of our own way. We exchange His peace for anxiety, His gladness for heaviness.

The beautiful truth is that God pursues runaways. He sent a storm not to destroy Jonah but to redirect him. Every difficulty in your disobedience may be God's merciful interruption, His loving pursuit to bring you back to the place of blessing—His presence.

Reflection Question: What are you running from in God's presence? His call? His correction? His love?

Application: Return to God's presence today through worship and prayer. Confess where you've been running and receive His welcoming embrace.