January 10 - Jonah (Pt. 2)

Working three days a week doesn't seem like a bad idea. Too bad, after one more snow day we will have to start making days up. Today, we bought a bike trainer (for my birthday), even though it's for both of us. Sometimes those are the best gifts...I plan on riding a while after dinner. Please remember to pray for those who were involved in the shooting in Tuscan and the families grieving losses and injuries...

Video note: you should notice that I completed my 2 push-ups, 2 sit-ups, but I also added in a little extra exercise...the cat press.

Jonah 1:13-16

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, "O, Lord please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased." 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Yesterday, we saw that Jonah ran away from God's call and it ended up bringing a lot of trouble to some strangers that he was sailing with. Reading further into this passage, it seems that these sailors aren't as bad as we imagined. Modern day sailors would have filled the pages with explicit words and drowned their despair in alcohol. These guys took into consideration the life of Jonah. The last thing they wanted to do was to toss this guy overboard, even in their frustration and anger. They also realized that Jonah's God is a true and mighty God. It's amazing that even in our moments of rebellion and fear, God can use us to witness to others. The men prayed to the Lord. This is a big moment in the story. These men had their gods that they chose to worship and trust, but after realizing that the Creator of this world was causing this raging storm, they placed their faith in Him, trusted Him, and the storm was calmed.

Jonah ran away from Nineveh, because he felt God was putting him in a tight spot. God still used Jonah. We think sometimes we are not in a position to witness or share the love of God with others, but in reality, God can use us in situations from small scale to big scale. In this case, these men found God in an extreme situation. Yes, Jonah could have preached the gospel in a big city that had been turning corrupt, but God used Jonah on that boat. The important thing I need to always remember, is that if God is calling me, I must listen and do as He says.

Trust is a very important aspect in any relationship. Whether it be with a friend, co-worker, spouse, family member, or even your pet. In these four verses, we see trust in three different ways:

1) The sailors trusted that if they threw Jonah overboard, God would answer their prayers and calm the storm.
2) Jonah trusted God to spare the sailors lives as he accepted full responsibility and told them to cast him overboard.
3) God trusted that Jonah learned his lesson and was ready to come back to place of humbleness, willing to be used by Him.

Tomorrow, we get to look at Jonah disguised as seafood...