Jonah

We finished a four week sermon series on Jonah yesterday. It reminded me of something I learned from studying this book several years ago.

We all face storms. Huge waves crashing against us, threatening to take us under storms.

For years I prayed "God, what have I done wrong that I am in this storm. Search me, know me, show me so I can repent and things can calm down." If I was facing it storm it must be because I did something wrong! I would get so frustrated when I couldn't figure out what I needed to repent of/do differently.

One day when I was reading Jonah I realized that the sailors were in the storm with Jonah-duh, we all know that. But what I had never thought about was they were suffering alongside Jonah, even though they had done nothing wrong!

Talk about eye opening and freeing! Yes, sometimes I am Jonah and I am the cause of a storm that affects other people too. But sometimes I am a sailor who just happens to be in the same boat as a Jonah.

If you are going through a storm I would suggest you pray. Ask God if you are Jonah- and if you are, repent. But if you are simply a sailor- well, the human part of me wonders if it is okay to ask permission top throw Jonah overboard! But Christ in me says we need to pray for the Jonahs in our lives.