The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are."
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.
Sermons on Biblical Characters
by Clovis G. Chappell
"So Jonah turned his back on his duty and turned his back on God. He took a ship bound for Tarshish and went to sleep. Surely his situation is critical indeed. But though he as forgotten God, God, in his mercy, has not forgotten him. God still loves Jonah, still longs for him and still hopes for him. And so in mercy God sends a storm after him. That was dangerous cargo the ship had on board. Better to have been gasoline or TNT than a rebellious prophet.
"Let us thank God for the storms that rouse us, that wake us up, that keep us from sleeping our way into the pit. May the Lord send us any kind of storm rather than allow us to fling ourselves eternally away from his presence. I am so glad God will never allow a man to go comfortably and peacefully to eternal death. He never allows any man to be lost until he has done his best to save him."
It is hard to be thankful for the storms in our lives - but it is these storms that either bring us to God or keep us close to God. So, I'm thankful for the storms.
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