Jonah gagged, pulled slime from his mouth, then lay still in the sand. Panting hard, gulping his first real air in three days, he wallowed in half-digested flesh, bone splinters, and gritty muck that violated every pore. Blazing glare pierced his eyes. Bit by bit, first with fingers, then with hands, he dragged himself away from the sea. His vision cleared a little, and he focused on scarlet rivulets running across his white, bleached skin. Well, I’m alive enough to bleed, he mused in stupor. Then he remembered why.

Jesus says we’re stuck on earth until He removes us. But He also says we citizens of His Kingdom don’t belong here. So, what’s the deal? Do we walk on earth with feet or in heaven with hearts? Depends on what we want. If on earth alone, feet run and play —his world’s a fun place. But then starving heart withers, separates, and dies. If in heaven alone, heart runs and hides—the world’s a dark place. But then unguided feet drag across life, ignore King, and abandon lost sheep.

For the consecrated, He reveals a third way—do both. No joining the world, but no hiding from it, either. Instead, He says put feet made for walking to ground, and anchor heart made for seeing in heaven. Then, His Word lights the dark paths, reveals highways where none exist, and shines on rivers flowing in parched deserts.

So, when was the last time He gave you His perspective on what you despise?

Jonah 1:1 – 2:10; Acts 1:8; Psalm 119:105; Romans 12:2; John 17:6-18; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11