Devotion based on Week 4 of “The Prophets” – Jonah (WATCH HERE)
“But the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” — Jonah 1:4, NIV
Most of us know what it feels like to run from something we don’t want to do. Maybe it’s a hard conversation, a call to forgiveness, a step of obedience we’d rather avoid. Jonah knew that feeling all too well. God called him to go to Nineveh, a violent, idolatrous city, and preach repentance. Instead, Jonah bought a ticket to Tarshish, the opposite direction.
At first, everything seemed fine. The sea was calm, the ship sturdy, and Jonah was sleeping peacefully below deck. But God wasn’t done with Jonah. He loved Jonah too much to let him run unchecked. So “the Lord sent a great wind” (v. 4). The Lord was going to work for the benefit of Jonah through the storm.
Jonah ran not because he doubted God’s existence, but because he didn’t like God’s plan. Deep down, Jonah knew God was “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Jonah 4:2). He didn’t want mercy for Nineveh. He wanted to see justice. So he ran.
How could Jonah do that? How can WE do that? The Lord directs us to spend time in his Word…we find other things to do. God calls us to forgive one who harmed us…we avoid them like the plague. God calls us to obey him and we make excuses. However, here’s the reality of God. When we run, He pursues us, not to destroy us, but to restore us. Psalm 139:7 asks, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” The answer: nowhere. And that’s good news.
Jonah’s storm wasn’t random. It was divine intervention, a wake-up call to remind him that God’s purposes cannot be outrun. The storm was an act of grace, steering Jonah back to the very God he was fleeing.
When the storm hit, the sailors cried out to their gods, throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah slept. While others prayed in panic, Jonah was spiritually numb. The captain shook him awake and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god!” (v. 6).
God sometimes uses unexpected circumstances to awaken us. They reveal what we trust in and where our hearts are drifting.
The storm brought Jonah face-to-face with his disobedience. When the sailors cast lots and discovered he was the cause, Jonah didn’t blame anyone else. He admitted, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land” (v. 9). It was as if the storm reminded him who he truly was and whom he truly served.
Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the sea, not as an act of despair, but of surrender. The moment he stopped running, the storm ceased. God wasn’t trying to destroy Jonah; He was preparing his heart to return to him. Even the sailors came to faith, offering sacrifices to the Lord (v. 16).
God often allows storms in life, not out of anger, but love. He uses discomfort to disrupt our disobedience, hardship to awaken our hearts, and consequences to lead us to confession. Like Jonah, we find mercy not by running from God but by returning to Him.
Jonah thought the sea would be his end, but it became his rescue. The great fish wasn’t punishment—it was provision. The same God who sent the storm also sent the salvation. More on that tomorrow.
Apply: Where might God be calling you to wake up? Maybe it’s in a relationship, an area of pride, a pet sin, or an angry heart. The storm you’re in might not be a sign of God’s anger—it might be His mercy in motion, calling you back.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving me enough to interrupt my running.
When I go the wrong direction, send whatever storm it takes to wake me up.
Help me see Your mercy even in the waves, and give me courage to turn back toward You.
Thank You that even in my rebellion, Your grace pursues me and restores me. Amen.