Fruitless Fears
“And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.” Jonah 1:9-10 KJV
The understanding of God as someone who goes after the righteous for compliance and spare the wicked in their complicity is no doubt the story of Jonah. Unfortunately, this story is the foundation of fruitless fears exhibited by many believers today. Whereas, God is love who goes after both the righteous and wicked with compassion; and He does not delight in the destruction of any of His creatures. That we can safely disobey God and run away from His revealed counsels is nothing else but false and fruitless. Unfortunately, instead of delivering the message of repentance to the people of Ninevah, Jonah was staged to deliver the gospel message to the mariners enroute Tarshish with fruitless fears. Whereas, fruitful fears command faith in God, i.e. faithfulness, righteousness, understanding, intimacy with God, and the truth revealed in the place of prayer and fellowship. Either for curiosity, carelessness or complicity, anyone who runs away from the presence of the Lord is bound to be arrested by the fear of commotion and confusion. The only escape route from fruitless fears is the embrace of fruitful fears and an absolute obedience to the commandments of the Lord.
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