No escaping God’s will

The sea is whipping. The waves are raging. On their way towards Tarshish, these unsuspected sailors are now offloading all the cargo they brought to keep from sinking. This was cargo to be sold; there was no other reason to set sail. They were throwing their livelihood away for the sake of their lives.

They were desperate.

These men were trying everything they knew to survive. It didn’t change a thing.

How often do we approach our problems with worldly solutions that repeatedly fail? Perhaps we should try a different approach.

In this specific situation, Jonah had the answer. Remember: he knew he was running from God. What does he say?

Like true gentlemen, though, the sailors tried to save the ship and Jonah one last time.

A common theme in my ministry is to remind us all that God requires obedience more than sacrifice. Agricultural sacrifice was the means to force an agrarian culture into obedience. On the one hand, a financial trust was placed in the Lord by sacrificing the choicest fruits and firstborn lambs. On the other, there was a penalty for sin, and sacrificing their means of living served as a strong “stick” of punishment to the proverbial carrot of grace. However, God does not need all those offerings (looking at you, Micah 6:8).

Abandon your wayward ships

The men tried to get to shore but to no success. Jonah knew there was no other way to save the ship than to offer himself up to the righteous punishment of God.

If you find yourself on a wayward ship, be ready to jump off. Perhaps your new bar-hopping client is taking you away from your family. Perhaps your new service/product is taking advantage of others. Perhaps your coworkers cuss too often, and you adopt their tendencies.

Whatever leads you away from God, be ready to jump into the deep unknown as faithful service to Him.

Let others glorify God through your trials

Did you notice how the shipmates responded? They did not curse God for their losses but worshiped Him for His power. They recognized the legitimacy of the one Creator and honored Him with an offering. The text says they feared Him.

Their lives were forever changing while Jonah was sinking toward the bottom. We’ll soon explore how that changes for Jonah, but Jonah’s revelation of His God helped the others recognize Him, too.

That’s how we are to live, from our mountaintops and through our valleys. Let us live in a way that helps others recognize Him too.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, we commit our lives to you. If we have activities, idols, or relationships that steer us away from you, then bring the storm. Make it clear. Give us the bravery to turn to you—to jump from the wayward ship. Help our unbelief to trust that Your way is good, pure, and best. Amen”