Having been in Habakkuk for several weeks, it seemed another minor prophet was grabbing my attention – Jonah.
Jonah, the prophet who called to ministry but did not want to minister to the people God wanted him to go and preach. Running in the other direction of Ninevah, he gets on a ship and soon finds himself in the midst of a storm of epic proportions.
The captain of the ship confronts Jonah, as the sailors have fully come to realize Jonah is the one who has caused the storm to come upon them. They also fully recognize there is nothing they can do to save themselves.
Think back to a “storm” in your life. Isn’t that just the way it is in our lives?
Every storm, challenge, or difficulty brings us to the place of realizing our great need for God. We come to fully recognize there is nothing we can do in and for ourselves.
God alone brings us in to the storm, through the storm, and out of the storm to bring us back to Himself.
I was struck by Jonah’s words in verse 9: “I fear the Lord God …”
Jonah’s words seemingly fell upon the ears of disbelieving sailors as they recognized he was the root of their problem.
But this recent reading brought conviction. It is so easy for us to profess our faith when things are going well. But it is in the storm that our faith, and our testimony, will be tested.
Will we be faithful to God in the storm?
Will we be faithful as we go through the storm?
Will we be faithful after the storm, no matter the outcome?
Oh Jonah, who knew you would bring so many lessons even before you get swallowed by the whale?
Perhaps you have noticed the dry and drought hot summer months can bring to varied areas. In her post, A Thirsty Soul, Donna Bucher, shares her own reflections on the drought damage in her own garden. A soul thirsty for God will not stop searching no matter the situations faced in daily life. Her thoughts will encourage your soul!
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Image by Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay
Wonderful thoughts on Jonah Joanne! He seems to be in many posts at the moment…God must have a theme going for us 🤔
Blessings, Jennifer
Thank you, Joanne for the reminders of where to place our faith when we face the storms of life. It is hard at times to trust God when the toughest challenges come, but God is always faithful, and besides if He can rescue Jonah after he was swallowed by a whale, what can we possibly face more difficult than that?
Thank you also for featuring my post, what a blessing!!
Sometime recently, I noticed storms in the Bible. Funny how Jonah walked right into a storm while trying to run from God. Other times, storms come into our lives for no reason we can see. But God is always faithful to be with us in and through the storms.
Will we be faithful to God in the storm?
Will we be faithful as we go through the storm?
Will we be faithful after the storm, no matter the outcome? Such a good reminder that people are watching. This may be our time to showcase God’s love and grace.
God alone. It always comes back to this, doesn’t it? Our foundation is God.
So many lessons from the disobedient prophet! I never want to be found running away from God!