Sunday, December 13, 2009

So Jonah hops this ship and heads for Tarshish. Read Jonah 1:3-16 to see Jonah's first experience at sea... and first trouble.

Why trouble? Trouble is the consequence of going your own way and not God's way. Trouble is the consequence of disobedience. Disobedience, you know, is sin. Sin is trouble because sin is evil. Evil is the opposite of good. God is good.

Trouble is God's opposition to your disobedience. When we don't trust God and obey Him, we find trouble. We fall into sin. The Spirit Filled Life Study Bible says that "The wise person understnds that God responds to disobedience by making circumstances oppose us." You reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:7) That's what's happening to Jonah here in the midst of a storm. How about you today? Where are you with God, in the midst of a storm? "God knows what is required to cause a change in our hearts and behavior. The path by which we flee from God will become the highway to repentance because of His intervention."

Jonah will repent, eventually. God is with Jonah and He is with us in our storms in life. He is ever present, persisting or pestering us to choose Him. But first the storm comes.

Many things can cause us to be disobedient to God and face a storm. Jonah doesn't like the people of Nineveh because of their wickedness. Doesn't he realize he's joining them with his own wickedness? Even the sailors on the boat - excuse me, today it might be a ship - know that Jonah has trouble. They simply cast lots to find this out. That's because they went to their gods and didn't get an answer. But remember in verse six the captain of the ship woke up Jonah and said, "call on your God." They may worship idols and not know Jonah from another but they knew to call on their gods - little did they know of Jonah's God! He can move the mountains, calm the sea and have a plan all set in place for what comes next.

One thing I can say for Jonah is that he's an honest man. He tells the truth when the sailors ask him about his lot. He even goes so far to offer himself up for death so that they might live! Is he disobedient or a savior? It may appear that he has the right motives but he is problem! He's got trouble but he is trouble!

We bring most of our trouble on ourselves and we don't even realize it when we do! Jonah knows there's trouble and he knows he's the trouble so he has the answer. Do we have the answer? No. God has the answer. God is the answer. You will soon see that God is the answer for Jonah. God has a plan for Jonah. God has thought ahead and knows what is to come. He had a plan knowing Jonah... andwhat Jonah would do.

The men decide it's right. Jonah's right. So the men throw Jonah overboard. Remember, Jonah is wanting to escape from God and what God wants him to do - go to Nineveh. And here is God. Where do we find Jonah next? Where we find Jonah, God is there.