Not for Turning
Opening Prayer
God, I run from many things. Please give me courage for what You are asking me to do.
Read Jonah 1:1–17
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
[1] The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: [2] “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” [3] But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. [4] Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. [5] 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. [6] 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.” [7] 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. [8] 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?” [9] He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” [10] 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.) [11] 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?” [12] “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.” [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, “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.” [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. [17] Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What issue in the world around you or in your own life is God asking you to address? We live in a very messy world. Contemporary communications can leave us feelingoverwhelmed with the scope of need, hatred and brutality. Sometimes the easiest way to cope isto keep our heads down and ignore it all.Jonah’s world was messy too. It was full of hatred and brutality. In particular, the Assyriansenacted horrible punishments on their enemies. Jonah simply could not bring himself to respondto God’s call to go to Nineveh, where these enemies lived. He runs off to sea, but finds himselfin a ship that is sinking in a storm.The sailors desperately try to wake Jonah up and get him to pray for them. Jonah’s indifferencehas him shutting out the world. He appears to care neither for the sailors nor for his own life. Theopportunity to witness to his God is missed. Instead, Jonah is faced with a choice to go downwith the ship or be thrown overboard. Even then, God does not abandon him.God calls us to bring his message to our messy and brutal world. Sometimes it is easier to fallinto indifference than to find the energy to engage. Opportunities are everywhere if we will onlyrespond to the world’s plea, “Get up, and call on your God!”We live in a very messy world. Contemporary communications can leave us feeling overwhelmed with the scope of need, hatred and brutality. Sometimes the easiest way to cope is to keep our heads down and ignore it all.
Jonah’s world was messy too. It was full of hatred and brutality. In particular, the Assyrians enacted horrible punishments on their enemies. Jonah simply could not bring himself to respond to God’s call to go to Nineveh, where these enemies lived. He runs off to sea, but finds himself in a ship that is sinking in a storm.
The sailors desperately try to wake Jonah up and get him to pray for them. Jonah’s indifference has him shutting out the world. He appears to care neither for the sailors nor for his own life. The opportunity to witness to his God is missed. Instead, Jonah is faced with a choice to go down with the ship or be thrown overboard. Even then, God does not abandon him.
God calls us to bring his message to our messy and brutal world. Sometimes it is easier to fall into indifference than to find the energy to engage. Opportunities are everywhere if we will only respond to the world’s plea, “Get up, and call on your God!”
Apply
Take a look at the needs in your local community. What is one way that you can meet a need this week?
Closing prayer
Lord, help me to live wisely, “making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:13–16).
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