If you spent any time at Sunday School, you know the story of Jonah. He ran away from God and ended up in the belly of a big fish. But a lot happened between the time Jonah stepped on the boat and when he went splash.
God told Jonah to go Nineveh and deliver some bad news, but he didn’t want to go. So, he hopped a ship and went the other way.
Then a great storm came. The sailors fought it but were afraid they would go under. They cried out their gods to save them. Then they cast lots to see whose fault it was and it pointed at Jonah who was sleeping below deck.
They asked Jonah who he was and where he was from. He answered, “I am Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Jonah admitted the storm was his fault because he was running from God. He said to cast him overboard and the sea would become calm. But the men continued to row until there was no other option.
They feared Jonah’s God and cried out that He wouldn’t hold them accountable for killing this innocent man.
As soon as Jonah splashed, the sea became calm. The sailors were in awe and offered sacrifices and vows to the Lord.
Now I don’t know how heartfelt their vows were or if they forgot their other gods, but they came face to face with the one true God, the only One Who could save them.
We chase other gods too.
Idols of gold and silver.
Desire for shiny things.
When storms rise, we look to them for safety, but realize they’re no more than cold, lifeless statues.
Like Jonah, we know we’ve turned away.
It’s not until we throw ourselves into the sea, completely surrender to the only true God, maker of all things, that we find the calm.
If we keep our focus solely on God and God alone, hopefully it won’t require
A Jonah splash.
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