Read: Jonah 1:4-16 (SOAP: verse 12)
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.” Jonah 1;12
Have you ever tried to run from God’s will for your life? If you have, you have most likely found yourself in a similar situation to Jonah’s. As the Psalmist discovered, we can run from God, but we cannot hide from Him. This has been true from the beginning in the Garden of Eden and is still true today. Fleeing from God’s presence or something He is calling us to do is simply not advisable.
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Psalm 139:7-12
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Even on a merchant ship in the middle of the sea, Jonah could not escape God. Why? Because God pursues us. In Jonah’s case, He sent a powerful wind and stirred up the sea, which threatened to destroy the ship. While Jonah was sound asleep in the inner parts of the ship, the sailors were above deck crying out to their god. When the ship’s captain found Jonah sleeping and not praying, he woke him and ordered him to pray, hoping that perhaps Jonah’s God would respond and keep them from perishing. Eventually, as was customary, lots were cast to see who was at fault for the danger they were in, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah wasn’t ashamed of the LORD – He just didn’t want to go to Nineveh.
Me from the inside-out🦋
When Jonah was questioned about everything from his occupation to who His people were, he replied to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Needless to say, this reply and the fact that He had already told them that he was running from the LORD brought even more concern. So, when the storm continued to grow in intensity, they asked Jonah what should be done to him to calm the sea – and because he knew his actions had created the danger, Jonah said, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea.”
While I know the story of Jonah, I had either forgotten or simply hadn’t learned that the sailors didn’t want to throw him into the sea. Instead, they tried to row back to land; but because the LORD was pursuing Jonah their efforts to spare him proved impossible – and they cried out, “Oh, please, LORD, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, LORD, have done just as you pleased.” Then they picked him up and threw him into the sea, and it stopped raging.
I love that Scripture records that they first tried to row back to the shore before they gave in to the only other option. It bears witness to the fact that neither Jonah, nor the crew were in control – God was, and they knew it.
I have found that the LORD often uses our struggles in this life to garner not only our attention but the attention of those around us. As we will see throughout the rest of our journeey with Jonah, this truth is the reality behind the words of James 1:2-4.🦋
Prayer
Father, may I never again from Your calling or seek to escape Your presence. i am horrified to think of all the times I have hidden from You or allowed myself to be engulfed by my own desires. Thank You for redeeming grace and Your faithful pursuit of me. Thank You for the faith that has come from the “whales” of my life and for the hope that You will use it all for Your glory. Blessed be Your Holy Name! 💜
Me From the Inside Out 