God’s Arm
“Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3).
The first two chapters of the book of Jonah teach us two all-important truths. In the first we learn that there is no place, however likely for escape, where God’s arm cannot reach us. The second chapter shows us that there is no prison, however unlikely for escape, from which God’s hand cannot deliver us. What place more suitable for escape than the wide endless sea? If the criminal wants to escape from the hands of justice, he embarks for some distant country. God knows how to overtake the fugitive, who, Jonah-like, desires to go his own way, and to “flee from the presence of the Lord.”
And where in this world could a prison be found from whence escape appears to be more impossible than the fish’s belly at the bottom of the sea? Do not despair. To God it is but a small thing to deliver from the strongest prison, as soon as it seems good to Him, and He has accomplished His purpose in placing you there.
