When we know that The Lord has beckoned our attention for one reason or another, we need to pay attention! The life of Jonah teaches us that when we know the Lord is speaking with us, our response will have an impact on not only our life, but the lives of those around us! The Word of The Lord comes to Jonah by way of The Holy Spirit in Jonah1:1. Jonah mistakenly believes he can go someplace that The Word of God & the presence of The Holy Spirit will not “find him”. Jonah’s personal desires; prejudices; & ideas are more important to him than whatever it is that God is wanting to accomplish in his life & do through his life! Jonah doesn’t appreciate the fact that when God knows our hearts will ultimately respond to His “Call” on our life, there is no way that GOD our Father will let us run away from HIM and to our own ultimate demise. Additionally, our “running away” will always have some kind of impact of on those closest to us, as it did in Jonah’s life (everyone’s life on the ship w Jonah was impacted by Jonah  “running”). Jonah did not find it difficult to run away from the Lord (Jonah1:3,”Jonah ran away.... found a ship...to flee from the Lord”). Satan is ALWAYS prepared to “provide a way” enabling us to turn from following the Lord! Our selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas that are not dealt with will always make it easier for us to turn away from following The Lord & find “alternate paths”, always! When we do run away from the Lord, we “run the risk” of bringing peril not only into our own life, but also into the lives of those closest to us. Our sin will always have an impact on our lives, and on the lives of those closest to us - just as Jonah’s sin impacted the lives of everyone on the ship w him! Satan loves for us to have the added heartache of seeing the impact of our sin in the lives of those around us! But the Perseverance of God is always ready & willing to save us from our “running”! God has a “whale” waiting to save everyone of us when we turn back to HIM. Dear Lord ,please make me aware of the selfish desires; prejudices; & ideas in my life that are causing me to run from many of the ways You are Calling to me and Instructing me. forgive me for these sins, and the ways that my “running” have impacted the lives of those around me! Save me & those around me...& bring me back “on course” with Your Word & Purpose for my life!