READ: Jonah 1:4-16 
“Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” ”Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.”

This passage is perplexing. Jonah set sail to cruise away from God’s goal for his life. I imagine him standing on the upper deck while waving goodbye to all his responsibilities. As the land disappears over the horizon, so do all his perceived problems. He takes a deep breath of salty air, sighs in relief, stretches out his arms, and snuggles up for a much-needed nap. As he’s drifting off into a deep sleep, the boat drifts into a severe storm. Waves toss the little boat back and forth like a ping-pong ball getting paddled across a table. This storm is so strong that all the men aboard assume it has to be a Divine delay. They shake Jonah awake and ask, “What on earth did you do, dude? You show up, and now we are about to get swallowed up by the sea.” 

Jonah knows that this storm is proof of God’s pursuit, so he hatches a peculiar plan. “Just throw me overboard,” he announces. Let that sink in (pun intended). Jonah basically tells these guys that they should sacrifice him. Even a skilled sailor would only survive seconds in rough water like this. Naturally, the crew refuses, saying, “There has to be another way.” Seriousness sweeps over his face as the rebellious prophet assures that this is the only path to protection for them.  Ironically, this is the first time Jonah starts moving towards God’s calling.

Sometimes, obedience after resistance is far more difficult. If he had just obeyed originally, things would have looked drastically different. There’d have been no storm. There’d have been no plunge into water. He’d just have to walk on a paved path for a couple of days. 

The sails are tearing and the boat is taking on water, so the resistant sailors know that they have to take drastic measures. They agree to send Jonah swimming and toss him overboard. Then, they watch in wonder as the sea goes still. In awe of the outcome, the crew begins to worship the one true God. 

God used a storm to stop Jonah. Jonah was delaying God’s call, so God chose to intervene. Here is a critical question. What are you supposed to do that you’re delaying? Maybe you need to reconnect with a friend. Maybe you need to start being more generous. Maybe you need to initiate forgiveness with someone. Maybe you need to stop returning over and over again to the same sin. Whatever it is, don’t delay it any longer. God may send a storm to wake you up. Like Jonah, some of us are sleeping. We are sleeping on our potential. We are sleeping on our calling. God wants to wake us up from our slumber, and He may use a storm to do it. 

It’s important that we understand that God’s original plan had nothing to do with a storm and a dangerous dive into the ocean. Jonah’s actions set up the storm. In life, we need to start taking ownership of our bad decisions. Instead of looking to the sky for blame, we may need to look into the mirror. Your own choices likely created some of your worst circumstances. You may have been a bad boyfriend, so that lead to the breakup. You may have been lazy, so that put you on academic probation. Maybe you don’t have enough money to put gas in your tank because you went on an Amazon shopping spree at two in the morning. When we face the consequences of our actions, we must reflect then redirect. 

READ: Jonah 2:1 
“Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” 

Fortunately, the storm is not the end of the story. God did something amazing to protect Jonah. The Bible teaches that God can take all things and work them out for His glory (Romans 8:28). When it says all things, I believe it means that. He can take the disobedience, the struggles, the shortcomings, and the setbacks and transform them for His greater good. 

This passage teaches that God “provided” a huge fish to swallow up Jonah. God sent the fish to protect his prophet. Jonah wasn’t swallowed by a Four Seasons hotel. He was swallowed up by a fish. I am sure the process was gross, smelly, dark, and disgusting. However, it was exactly what Jonah needed for protection. Sometimes God’s provision is a little uncomfortable. Jonah found himself in a mess, but this mess was for his best. 

Consequences often feel like discipline, right? We face failure, we get caught, or we lose some friends. Let’s strive to view our consequences through the lens of redemption.  It’s possible that God is not punishing you. Instead, maybe He’s pursuing you. Just like Jonah, the fish was actually God’s provision and protection. When I was a kid, my mom once popped the back of my hand as I was about to grab a flaming marshmallow off a stick. She wasn’t punishing me; she was protecting me. The same is true in your life. Sometimes, problems that feel like punishments are actually God’s provision. Embrace God’s correction because it will help you grow. Experience is an amazing educator— especially the hard stuff.  

Don’t mistake God’s protection for punishment. 

TALK IT OUT 
Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.
Q1: Would you rather go sailing or hiking and why?
Q2: Why do you think people tend to blame life’s storms on others instead of taking responsibility for their own involvement in causing the issue? 
Q3: How can we reflect and redirect a situation towards what God wants for us after we realize we’ve made a mistake? 
Q4: Have you ever experienced growth after making a mistake? How?
Q5: What mistake do think God wants you to begin seeing as an opportunity for growth?