God Uses the Storms
Today, read Jonah, chapter 1
We all know the story of Jonah. But let’s have a quick recap, shall we? Jonah was a prophet of God, called to take God’s message of pending judgment to a city called Nineveh. Nineveh wasn’t just a city, the Bible calls it a ‘great city’- it had significance….and it was full of wickedness.
Jonah knew all about Nineveh and he was less than interested in going there to share God’s warning and in how they should repent. In Jonah’s eyes, they deserved what was coming.
So Jonah ran. He ran in the opposite direction, away from Nineveh and away from God.
Let’s stop here. Do you have a son or daughter who is running from God? He sees and He knows! Don’t despair. God is working…
Now, back to Jonah…God let him run. He let Jonah board a ship headed for Tarsus. And Jonah wasn’t shy about sharing why he was headed to Tarsus. He told the sailors he was running from God. (1:10). But the sailors didn’t know or fear the Almighty God. There were many gods among them and it was more of a “Hey, whatever works for you, man” sort of thing. So running from God wasn't a cause for concern…until the storm.
God brought a storm that was wild and fierce. It challenged these seasoned sailors and after doing all they could on their own to save the ship, they began asking who was responsible for making all this trouble. Clearly, they sensed a spiritual aspect to this storm.
And Jonah? He was indifferent…asleep in the bottom of the ship- so disconnected that the captain had to wake him from a deep sleep. You see, in his running from God, he’d stopped listening to the Lord and he became insensitive and indifferent to God’s working. (Sometimes, when we run from God, we reach a place where we no longer hear His voice, but God is still working).
Jonah owned up to his part in the storm. When he confessed that he worshiped the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the land, the sailors were struck with fear. Now, here is where the account grows even more interesting… Jonah’s solution to save the ship and the men on it was to have them throw him overboard. We don’t know what his thoughts were- had he had a change of heart? Did he know God would save him? Was he simply owning his defiance and accepting his ‘fate’? The sailors didn’t want to do it…they continued trying everything else, but finally agreed that in order to have any chance at survival, they must do what Jonah said.
They threw him overboard. And they pleaded with God to not hold them accountable for Jonah’s life. They pleaded to God. Did you catch that? God used this storm to bring these sailors to a realization that there is One True God. They prayed, offered sacrifices to Him. They feared the Lord and made vows to Him. (1:15-16) Sometimes the storm isn’t just about us. Sometimes, God uses the storms to impact those around us and He uses our storms to bring others to Him.
And Jonah? Well, God provided a fish to swallow him. And here’s the thing…no one saw what went on inside the fish. No one. Yet, God was working. Remember that.
Friends, is your son or daughter in the midst of a storm? Step back and look at the big picture. Maybe God will use that storm to speak into their life…or maybe He’ll use it to speak into someone else’s life. That storm might not only be for your son or daughter. Does it seem like they’re indifferent to God? Keep praying. God is still working. Does it seem like the consequences of their choices have swallowed them whole- all is lost, there is no hope? God is STILL working- remember, no one saw what went on inside the fish. But God did. And he put Jonah there for a reason. And He’s allowed your son or daughter to be where they are for a reason. He’s not done working. Trust Him. Continue to pray. Ask God to calm the storm and reassure your faith. The next part of the story is coming… and God uses it for good!
“Father, You are the Almighty God, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Lord of the sea and the land. I trust You. Lord, sometimes all I can see is the storm. I worry for (name) and long for them to surrender to You. I know You are working, yet, I don’t see it. Give me spiritual eyes to recognize that even in the storm, You’re working and You don’t stop. I pray that (name) would grow sensitive to Your voice. Make their heart tender toward You. Burden them with their sin, their defiance, their indifference and draw them to surrender. I pray, Lord, that you would use this storm to shake them from their complacency to stand before You and acknowledge You are Lord of all. Father, put (name) wherever they need to be in order to hear Your voice. And help me to trust You that even when I can’t see what’s going on ‘inside the fish’ that You are there and You’re moving, changing hearts and drawing those who have run away, back to You. Lord, I pray that You would draw (name) back to you today. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Pray without ceasing.