Scripture: Jonah 1:12-13 “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.
Devotion: After the sailors asked Jonah what they should do to him to make the storm subside, he voices his realization that he is the problem. Despite trying to outrun God, the Lord made his omnipresence and omnipotence known.
In the middle of the storm, Jonah recognizes that it has come about because of him. He takes responsibility for his actions. This is something that we always want others to do but is difficult to do for ourselves. I am constantly telling my three-year-old that his actions have consequences. For example, his sister sees a toy that he is playing with and decides that she wants it. She walks over and takes it from him (she is only one, after all), and he gets mad and hits her. The end result? Neither of them gets the toy for a little bit. But he often doesn’t see his part in it. When I ask him what happened, he will just say that his sister took the toy that he wanted. He doesn’t realize that he has control over how he responds and is responsible for it. Now, I don’t expect my three-year-old to grasp all of this. But the same often applies to us, doesn’t it?
We don’t like to recognize our part in creating the problem. When the ramifications for our decisions start to be made known, we can always justify our actions. It is easy to shift the blame to others. Jonah could have blamed the Ninevites and their wickedness, the sailors and the course they took, or God and His divine plan. Instead, after much running, he finally admits where he screwed up and submits to the Lord. And we can know and trust that no matter how long it takes us to get to that point, God will be there with open arms. “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” (Psalm 145:8)
Reflect:
- Take some time to thank God and praise Him for each attribute listed in Psalm 145:8:
- Gracious
- Compassionate
- Slow to anger
- Rich in love