We live in a very mobile world. Everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere.

Throughout Scripture, God often taught people the greatest lessons along the journey.

Today, we continue with Scott Pauli, our study through the great journeys

of the Bible. Our prayer is that you will rediscover the adventure of walking with God.

The last time we journeyed with Jonah, we found him running from God, running from the presence of the Lord.

You may think, well, I'm not out of church. I'm not living in some vile lifestyle. I'm not running from God.

But I'll remind you that sometimes the greatest prodigals are the ones that never

physically leave home. You remember in the New Testament, the elder brother, he was as far from

the father's heart as his younger brother ever thought about being, maybe further, and still living

under the same roof. And I'm afraid that sometimes, right in our Christian homes and in good churches there are believers

who are very far from the presence of the Lord.

So let's go back to that thought today.

This thought that's mentioned three times in Jonah chapter one about the presence of the Lord.

Let me show you some things that God has been dealing with me about.

The first is this, that the presence of the Lord is always connected to the word of God. You see, that's the way the whole story begins. Now the word of the Lord came. God speaks. In fact, throughout the entire book of Jonah, God is speaking over and over and over again.

That's the story of the whole Bible. God speaks.

He spoke in creation. He said one word, light, and there was light, and it was very good.

He spoke the worlds into existence with the power of His Word.

He spoke in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Who is the Lord Jesus? He is the word made flesh. He is the very expression of God. Hebrews

1 says God has spoken in divers manners or different manners through the generations, but in these

last days he's spoken into us by

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