Jonah 1:4 “And the Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.”
Observation: This ought to be one of the most reassuring passages in Scripture. Here we have Jonah, who obviously knew the voice of the Lord and could hear perfectly the Lord’s instruction. We know that his hearing was clear enough to cause him to decide immediately to run from God’s purpose for him. Jonah’s was not the gradual, partial disobedience of the fence sitter. Rather, his was the flight of one who knew exactly what God had told him to do, and he instantly said no! Jonah was nothing if not decisive.
Application: How many times have I said no to the Lord? How often have I either turned away in overt, intentional flight or quietly skulked in the shadows of God’s will, hoping He might not notice my lack of wholeheartedness in response to His nudgings? Regardless of the intentionality of my stubbornness, what is the emotion that always follows? Fear. Fear that now that I’ve turned down the King of heaven, He might abandon me altogether. Fear that He is so peeved with me that He might never again trust me with divine assignment.
So how heartening is the verse that shows He will do anything it takes to win my obedience. Will He stir up a ship-wrecking storm? Sure. Send a great fish to swallow and carry me to the place of God’s design? No problem. As a matter of fact, nothing is too difficult for Him—no stubbornness, no fear, no rebellion. He overcomes all my objections, whether suddenly or gradually, and turns me toward His dear Son. In the light of His sacrifice, I must not, I cannot, say no.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are in the winds and the waves of my life, ever urging me to full obedience. Thank You for the honest look at Jonah, loved, equipped, and assigned by You for important work, yet resisting. Thank You for Your faithfulness to walk with him, and with me, through every difficult assignment. I choose today to yield to You fully, Lord, in pursuit of the eternal glory You promise to all who wholeheartedly love You.