But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. Jonah 1:3-5 (NLT)
Sometimes we are in a storm caused by our disobedience. The storm rages hard and can be very scary. Jonah found himself in a storm caused by his disobedience. God told Jonah to get on a boat and go one way. He got on a boat and headed in the opposite direction. That’s why I picked the NLT here, other version just say he ran away or rose to flee. This can’t be confused with a wondering or “taking the long,” it clearly states he went the other way from where he should have gone. Jonah found himself in the middle of storm. It was an awful storm that threatened to break the ship apart. However when Jonah found himself in the middle of that storm, he did some things right.
Jonah chooses to run away from God and found himself in a violent storm. It threatened to break the ship apart. The crew felt that had to throw cargo overboard. This isn’t a small storm. Storms of disobedience are the worse kind. They rip at our souls and break our hearts. I faced an awful storm of disobedience. I choose to have an abortion. I quickly found myself in a storm of guilt. I was in a storm that ripped at my soul and broke my heart into a millions of little pieces. It was an awful storm that lasted for years. It ruined relationships. It’s left a very dark spot on my testimony, but I also did the things Jonah did.
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?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.) 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.” Jonah 1:9-12 (NIV)
In the midst of the storm, Jonah fesses up. Verse 12, Jonah said, “I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” He took responsibility for his disobedience. He didn’t point a finger and say, “I did this because of someone else.” He took the blame; he didn’t even try and hide. He came right out and said it was his fault. I take complete fault in my abortion. I don’t blame my ex-boyfriend. I could and after hearing the whole story, some may say I have the right and he should take some of the blame. I admit fault because I made the choice. When it’s all done and over with, I’m the one to blame and it’s my fault. The next time you’re in a storm of disobedience, admit fault, take the blame. The storm may not end right that second, it didn’t for Jonah and it didn’t for me. The storm can’t end until your take fault.
He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’” Jonah 2:2-9 (NIV)
Next Jonah prayed. Look at Jonah’s prayer. He talks about being in distress, being in a grave, being hurled into the deep, being banished, engulfed and sinking. Jonah wasn’t just in physical storm. Jonah felt a great storm on the inside, but he said two great things. Verse 7, “I remembered you, LORD” and verse 9, “Salvation comes from the LORD.” He prayed that he was aware of how wrong it was to disobey, but he also prayed how God will take care of him. I spent many nights for over year after my abortion, crying myself to sleep and praying. I prayed about how awful I felt and how I was consumed with guilt, and how wrong that choice was. I also prayed about how great God is. I prayed for His salvation to return to me. Pray through the storm.
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. Jonah 3:3 (NLT)
This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying God's orders to the letter. Nineveh was a big city, very big—it took three days to walk across it. Jonah 3:3 (MSG)
After the storm is over, you need to do what Jonah did. Jonah obeyed and went to Nineveh. I like how the message states it, “This time Jonah started off straight.” Jonah learned it was better to obey what God says to do. Jonah suffered through his consequence of disobedience, but he picked himself up and obeyed God. I suffered through an awful storm, it lasted for over year. I looked at my broken piece picked them up and started obeying. I couldn’t go back and listen like Jonah had the option of doing, but I started obeying God when He talked. You may not be able to go back and make it right, but this time you can start off straight and obey God’s orders to the letter. You don’t have to live with the guilt. I don’t think Jonah went around feeling sorry for himself that he went in the opposite of direction. There were probably times, when he would hang his head and remember what he did, but I don’t think he lived in guilt. I think this because I don’t. I don’t live in guilt anymore. I’ve worked hard to get past the guilt, but I got past it. There are times when I hang my head and remember what I did and that it wasn’t the best thing to do. So neither do, you don’t have to live in the guilt. Pick up the pieces and start work past it.
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