Jonah 1:1-3 (1)Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, (2)“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” (3)But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.(ESV)
Jonah had a destination.
He boarded a ship, paid the fare, and began moving toward Tarshish. From the outside, his journey appeared organized and intentional.
But movement and direction aren’t the same thing.
Jonah knew where he was going geographically. The deeper problem was that he also knew he was moving away from what God had told him to do.
We often assume that having a plan means we have direction. We can set goals, make arrangements, and measure progress while never stopping to ask whether the path itself is right.
Sometimes we’re moving toward something good.
Sometimes we’re merely moving away from something uncomfortable.
Fear can give us a destination. Anger can create a plan. Pride can keep us moving long after we recognize that the direction’s wrong. Even relief can convince us that a path is correct simply because it leads away from the place we no longer want to remain.
That’s why “Where are you going?” requires more than the name of a destination.
What are we hoping to find there?
What are we trying to leave behind?
Will this direction move us toward obedience, healing, truth, and responsibility—or simply farther from discomfort?
A clear destination can still be the wrong destination.
Jonah’s ship was making progress. Every mile carried him closer to Tarshish, but every mile also carried him farther into the consequences of his refusal.
We may not know the final destination God has prepared for us. Often, we’re only given enough clarity for the next step.
But we can still examine the direction of that step.
We may not know exactly where the road ends.
We should know what we’re moving toward.
Walking With Christ 
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