Have you ever studied the book of Jonah in the Old Testament of the Bible? We have started a new study at church on Sunday morning and that's the book we are studying. Yesterday was the first day of the study so, of course, we started with chapter 1.
Jonah was a man who was given a mission from God to go and preach His word in Nineveh, but instead Jonah tried to run from God and left in the opposite direction. He boarded a boat upon which were many sailors - experienced sailors - who because of Jonah experienced the power of God for the first time!
While they sailed a great storm came upon them and the men were afraid! Each man called out to his own god, but to no avail. The storm roared on! When they looked for Jonah, they found him - below deck, sound asleep! They awakened him and began to question him,
The sailors questioned Jonah, asking who he was, where he came from,his country and what people he came from. They wanted to know who was making all this trouble for them.
Jonah answered and said, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land." Jonah 1:9
The men were terrified and asked Jonah what he had done - they knew that he was running from the Lord, because he had told them. They asked Jonah what they should do to him to make the sea calm and Jonah told them to throw him overboard!
The men obviously had more compassion for Jonah than Jonah had for all the people in Ninevah - the town God had told him to go to preach and, therefore, they tried everything they knew to keep the boat afloat - without throwing him overboard. They threw cargo (their very livelihood) overboard to lighten the boat and tried to row back to land. The sea just got rougher and rougher.
13) Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14) Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." 15) Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16) At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him. Jonah 1
Have you ever tried to "run" from God? I can remember times in my life - not really running, but definitely avoiding God! When the spirit lives in you and you know God's word, it is impossible to have peace when your actions are in direct opposition to His teachings.
Jonah tried to run from God but the mighty God of Heaven knew where he was and knew his heart. God caused the storm, not as punishment to Jonah, but as a "recovery" - to bring Jonah back to Him! And in the midst of the storm, brought many others unto Himself as well!
When I look at the "stormy" times in my life - they always coincide with a time in which I have not put God first in all that I do! My life and my choices have not been in line with His Word. Instead, I have allowed my priorities to become skewed - moved my relationship with God down on my list of "Things To Do"!
I know the only way to calm the "storms" in my life is to put Him back at the top of my "To Do" list by getting back into the Word, making prayer, worship and Bible study my focus. God is ever present and He loves me. Storms may come, but I can call upon God and know that the "sea" will be calm once again! My God is awesome and I'm thankful for His faithfulness and His love for me!
In His Love and Blessings
annb
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