Jonah - Again

 I'm not sure how to handle this one. We are at the point in the year where in the reading program last week we read Jonah. That means that I need to write something about it, but I've also been trying to do more with the website, so I wrote a few things about Jonah on that too. So, what is something new that I can write about with Jonah? That brought me all the way back to Jonah chapter one. Jonah knows that he is the reason for the storm. Everyone on board knows that someone on the ship is to blame for the rough seas. This is how they find out that Jonah is to blame, this is Jonah 1:7-9.

7 Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. 8 So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” 

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 

Jonah is quick to admit where he is from, and that he worships the Lord, who made the sea and the dry land. This is the part I want to focus on today, they ask Jonah how they should handle him, and this is his response in verses 11-16.

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” 12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” 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 out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, 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 knew that the only way to find peace was to throw him overboard. Jonah knew that the only way to calm the sea, was to get rid the issue on board. That leads me to two questions of focus today. One, when we know what is causing the storm in our lives, do we get rid of it? When we have sin in our lives that we know is there, but we aren't removing it, we can't have peace. We need to repent and run away from sin. Two, are we aware of the times that we are causing a storm for someone else? Have you ever shared the latest gossip? Do you have someone in your life that maybe you need to apologize to? The challenge for me is, if I am causing an issue for someone, can I either fix it or be strong enough to remove myself from the situation? Am I willing to jump overboard and spend a few days in a big fish?  A lot of times I worry about spending time in a big fish or being sent to the desert for a time of preparation. Maybe instead of being afraid I need to embrace the situation and finally fix what I am doing wrong. Fixing it yourself is a lot of better than being forced overboard!