It was released in 1977, and the singer-songwriter Merle Haggard (dec. 2016) sang, “I was born the running kind, With leavin’ always on my mind” (The Running Kind).

But I’m not just talking about a country music song. It’s my story. It’s our story. It’s the true-life story of humankind.

It started in a garden known as Eden. God created and endowed us with a superpower—the power of choice. Adam and Eve misused that power when they chose disobedience. They ran from God’s purpose to a cover-up job. Ever since, humanity has been born the running kind.

Jonah is one of the most infamous runners in the OT. Click this link to review his story’s first 12 verses (Jonah 1:1-12, NIV).

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and they were the enemies of God’s chosen people, Israel. But God gave Jonah an all-expenses-paid missionary trip. On dry land, it was less than a month’s journey. But Jonah ran into an aquatic rideshare prayer meeting for three days and three nights. He concluded: “Salvation is from the Lord” (2:9, NASB)!

Despite Nineveh’s wickedness, God called an Israeli prophet to preach their salvation. Jonah’s job was to call them to repentance. But he wanted God to judge their wickedness, so leavin’ was on his mind.

​Jonah was the running kind.

Even though his resistance was futile, he had reasons for running.

​​1) I believe Jonah rightfully feared failure. The wicked Assyrians might just violently kill him by impalement for preaching repentance.
2) Jonah didn’t like God’s plan to save the Ninevites. He thought God should judge them, so he ran away in anger at their possible salvation.
3) Jonah wanted God to bless Israel, but he wanted judgment for Nineveh. He was unwilling to confront his bad attitude of prejudice.
4) Everyone accepted Jonah’s ministry, and Israel enjoyed prosperity and peace. Why upset the good life? Jonah liked his comfort zone.
5) Jonah thought his life belonged to him. So, when he was told to do what he didn’t want to do, his running was from a rebellious heart.

But what about you—are you running from ​God? He’s called you to forsake your bad attitudes and willful sins. Are you like Adam and Eve, hiding from God, covering yourself with self-righteous fig leaves?

God is inviting you into deeper trust—maybe by following Christ in believers’ baptism or faithfully returning His tithes. Don’t run from these next steps.

God ran after Jonah.

The Good News is that God always comes looking for us. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10, NASB). The Good Shepherd always goes after lost sheep. And I praise God that “He came looking for me” (2004, The Crabb Family).

How did God run after Jonah?

God was in the storm (1-5). “The Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” God will allow storms to humble our rebellious hearts for repentance.

God was in the confrontation (6-12). Jonah was asleep, but he should have been awake. The crew confronted him with rapid-fire questions.

The Holy Spirit asks us similar questions when we run from God: ​“What are you doing?” ​“Where do you come from?” ​​“From what people are you?” ​​“What have you done?” By these, ​Jonah was reawakened to his identity and calling. He said, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God… who made the sea and the land.”

When you run from God, He will bring you home with similar words about who you are, what you do, and Who you serve: I am a child of God, and He is my Father! ​I live to glorify God and enjoy Him forever! ​I am a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; He makes all things new!

Regardless of who you are or what you’ve done, God has not given up on you! He is running after you, looking for you. Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39)! ​

God was in the sea response. The big question was, “What should we do?” Jonah said, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea” (11-12). Jonah would rather go down than do what God told him. But it was prayer meeting time, and God provided a whale of an accommodation.

What does this mean for us?

Favorable circumstances don’t always equal God’s blessings. Jonah could’ve thought that the ship bound for Tarshish was God’s provision. We tend to deceive ourselves when we want our way.

However…

God uses imperfect servants (it’s all He has), but God isn’t okay with your willful sinning. Jonah was not a perfect prophet, yet God called and commissioned him. When the Ninevites saw him, they realized God was at work because Jonah would’ve never gone there of his own will.

When we run from God, He runs after us.​ That’s called grace.

God requires total surrender from His servants. Jonah died to his pride and prejudices in the belly of God’s whale. Jesus died in your place, so you can die to your pride and prejudices (Romans 6:11).

Salvation is from the Lord.

The 19^th—century poet Francis Thompson (dec. 1907) captured what it feels like to run from God but still be pursued by love. He pictured God as “The Hound of Heaven” (1890) and described a man running as far and fast from God as he could via worldly ambitions and pleasures. But behind him, always pursuing, was the sound of Divine footsteps—persistent, patient, loving. Here’s a small sample of Thompson’s poem:

“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years…
But with unhurrying chase, And unperturbed pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy…
Came on the following Feet…”

The poet observed what Jonah learned and what every runner can discover: you can’t outrun grace. God is not chasing you to catch you in judgment. He’s chasing you to catch you in mercy (Psalm 85:10, James 2:13b).

Maybe you’ve been running, but the Hound of Heaven has never left your trail. In compassion, He says, “I am He Whom thou seekest!”

So stop running. Turn around. And fall into the arms of the One who’s been running after you all along. You were born the running kind. But today, you can be born again as the repenting kind.

Jesus Christ died to redeem all of us runners. And He defeated the grave to empower you with grace to run the race of faith.