Ever since I was a little boy I’ve always heard about runaways.

A young boy or girl would get sick and tired of the rules at home so he/she would get a stick, tie up some clothes and snacks, and hit the road. Strangely enough they always came back when the food ran out.

Now I’ll be completely honest; I never considered running away. I realized I had it made. You just can’t get homemade biscuits, pan-fried chicken, and sweet tea living on the move all the time.

Since I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize more and more people are running. They are running from their past, running from their problems, running from the demon of addiction, just running from life. They never seem settled or satisfied; they are just always on the run.

Sadly, this lifestyle provides excuses for people to run from the Lord. You see, when the Holy Spirit convicts a person concerning an area in their life that they are running from, they will just run away from the Lord, thinking that it will solve the problem. In reality it multiplies the problem.

There is a story in the Bible that a lot of people have not heard of. It is the story of Onesimus.

Onesimus was a slave in Colessae. His master was man named Philemon.

Well Onesimus saw the opportunity to run from his life of slavery so he took that opportunity and ran. He may have thought he was free but he really wasn’t. Freedom wouldn’t have really solved his problem; he was just running from his problem.

Well he ended up in Rome and heard the apostle Paul share the gospel message and he became a believer in the Jesus Christ. His life was changed. He found what was missing. He was no longer bound by sin; he had truly been set free.

Now that he was a Christian he wanted to help Paul share God’s grace with everyone. So he and Paul became very close and within this relationship Paul realized what Onesimus had done by running away. Paul asked that he quit running and go back because that was the right thing to do. Well Onesimus did return but not as a slave but now as a brother in Christ.

You see Christ made all the difference in Onesimus’s life. Instead of running his whole life, now he had the help to confront the issues of life and become an over-comer through Christ.

Friend, whatever you are running from, you will not find peace, security, or satisfaction running from it. What you need is the one who can deliver peace, security, and satisfaction to the soul that is searching and that is Jesus Christ alone. In the midst of running, why don’t you run to Jesus? He may reveal things you have to deal with but if you place your faith and trust in him, he will fill that emptiness in your heart and help you face and overcome your enemies.

It is time to quit being a “runaway” and become a “follower” of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

Tune in to WBCU 103.5 FM Sundays at noon for the Shining Light Broadcast. I preach a 15-minute message that I pray will be a blessing to those who listen. If you have a prayer concern, comment, or question, please write to: Voice of Victory, Attn: David Burrell, PO Box 1221, Pacolet, SC 29372, message me on Facebook, or e-mail me at daveburrell@live.com.