Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

Never Too Far Gone

Kayla Ferris

Psalm 139:9-10

Once upon a time, I used to put spinach in my smoothies — now a habit of the past. The last time I added spinach, the leaves looked past their prime, but I used them anyway, only to regret it when I spent the night on the bathroom floor. Spinach betrayed me, and I have written it off forever.

Thankfully, we serve a God who never writes us off, even when we feel too far gone. Throughout the book of Jonah, we see the extent of God’s love. Jonah’s life echoes Psalm 139:9-10: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” From east to west, from heights to depths, God is present and faithful.

The ”wings of the morning” in Psalm 139:9 refers to the east, where the sun rises. God instructed Jonah to travel that way, from Israel to the eastern city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-2). Meanwhile, the “uttermost parts of the sea” speaks of the Mediterranean’s far western reaches. Jonah’s attempted flight to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3) likely led him west, toward the tip of modern-day Spain at the edge of the Mediterranean.

In terms of heights and depths, Psalm 139:8 adds, “If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!” And Jonah prayed from inside a fish deep in the ocean: “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice” (Jonah 2:2). There is nowhere — neither east nor west, neither the highest heaven nor the bottom of the sea — where God’s love and guidance cannot reach us.

Jonah’s life is evidence that Psalm 139 is true. Even in his story's final chapter, with Jonah in an angry tantrum (Jonah 4:9-11), God was still there, patiently teaching and guiding him. If Jonah was never too far gone for God’s love, then neither are you. As Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When you feel lost in pain or fear, remember that because of Jesus, God’s love is with you, and He holds you in His mighty hand. You are never too far gone for Christ.