("They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so." ) Jonah 1:10b
"I didn't mean what I said." Have you ever heard someone say this after uttering harsh words? The problem is that we usually say out loud what we have been holding inside for a while. When harsh words finally fly, it may not be that the speaker didn't mean them as much as they wish their own words didn't just give them away.
When Jonah ran from God, he told the sailors of the ship headed to Tarshish what he was doing. His own words revealed what was going on in his heart. His heart was not on board with God's plan for the Ninevites.
Imagine for a moment, actually saying in response when asked what you are doing, "I am running away from God." Whether we want them to or not, the words of our mouth reveal the condition of my heart. We signify that we are either following God with our life or not with the words we speak. You may not literally be saying that you are running from God, but you may be revealing ways that you are. Our utterances, indicate selfishness, materialism, idols of the heart, lusts, and the like. Our own words tell on us.
Dear one, what are your words saying today? Do your words indicate how you follow God or do they indicate needed areas of repentance? Lord, please show us the ways in which we run from you as we think about the words we are speaking.
