Fear. It paralyzes us and makes us want to flee from conflicts, problems, responsibilities, life. It makes us want to turn to our "drugs of choice," whatever they may be, since they offer us immediate distraction and relief. When we run in fear, we run as Jonah did-away from the Lord-but as the Lord in His dynamic power, wisdom, and perfect love was ever at Jonah's side, so He is at ours.

In I Ran, but I Couldn't Hide: Solace, Serenity, and Joy from the Book of Jonah, author and former pastor Bill Favorite traces Jonah's dramatic journey from learning God's intended path for him and his subsequent flight in the opposite direction to his repentance, deliverance, success, and surrender. Written from Jonah's perspective, I Ran, but I Couldn't Hide invites us to relate our own experiences to the trials and victories Jonah faced.

There is wondrous peace and assurance in learning to lean on the Lord and discovering the bliss of joyous surrender. Like Jonah, we all have longings, and sometimes we stray-God knows this. Even so, every sunrise and sunset marks another day in God's time of grace, and no matter how often and in what ways we stray from His Word and will, He will always watch over us, always guide us, and always answer his door with open, ever-loving arms.