Wrong actions and disobedience evoke consequences untold. We know that sex outside marriage can change lives forever. We understand that drinking and driving kills and imprisons, yet we do it anyway.
Jonah 1:12 (MSG)
Jonah said, "Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It's all my fault. I'm the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you'll get rid of the storm."
Disobedience not only hurts us, but often devastates those in our path as well. The story of Jonah is fascinating to study. Jonah was a prophet, but he closed his heart to God's instructions. Jonah was running from God's will; he wasn't keen on the idea of going to Nineveh to share God's warning with the people, telling them to change and repent.
It is interesting to note how God used this situation for His glory. Jonah's shipmates were pagan, but they had heard of Jonah's God and spoke as if in awe of Him. I would suspect they may have become believers once they tossed Jonah overboard and the seas suddenly calmed.
As Priscilla Shire writes in her study of Jonah, "The storm created by Jonah's rebellion was the perfect backdrop for them to meet the one true God, the One who governed the sea.
This story is a prime example of God redeeming a wrong and making it work for good. It is a reminder for each of us that God loves us and is waiting for us to love Him back. He is waiting for us to submit and cry out, “pick me up and throw me into the sea.” He is waiting for us to surrender our will to His.
Jonah 1:12 (MSG)
Jonah said, "Throw me overboard, into the sea. Then the storm will stop. It's all my fault. I'm the cause of the storm. Get rid of me and you'll get rid of the storm."
Disobedience not only hurts us, but often devastates those in our path as well. The story of Jonah is fascinating to study. Jonah was a prophet, but he closed his heart to God's instructions. Jonah was running from God's will; he wasn't keen on the idea of going to Nineveh to share God's warning with the people, telling them to change and repent.
It is interesting to note how God used this situation for His glory. Jonah's shipmates were pagan, but they had heard of Jonah's God and spoke as if in awe of Him. I would suspect they may have become believers once they tossed Jonah overboard and the seas suddenly calmed.
As Priscilla Shire writes in her study of Jonah, "The storm created by Jonah's rebellion was the perfect backdrop for them to meet the one true God, the One who governed the sea.
This story is a prime example of God redeeming a wrong and making it work for good. It is a reminder for each of us that God loves us and is waiting for us to love Him back. He is waiting for us to submit and cry out, “pick me up and throw me into the sea.” He is waiting for us to surrender our will to His.
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