The STORM in Jonah’s Life (Chapter 1)

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by

Robert Piña
in

The Storm in Jonah’s Life: 

  1. Was Initiated by God– 1:4 “But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea”. As we know, God is trying to get Jonah’s attention and God initiated a storm to do it.
    • Genesis 7:4 God caused the great flood of Noah by sending rain for 40 days straight. 
    • Exodus 9:18 God sent hail and rain as a plague in Egypt. 
    • Isaiah 29:6 “Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. 
    • God can use anything and everything to get a hold of you, to include a storm. Consider that some storms in your life may have been brought by God into your life. 
  1. Came because of His Disobedience– 1:2-3; 7-8, 10, 12. Jonah’s storm was caused because of his disobedience toward God. God told him to go to Nineveh and preach but he instead went to Tarshish. He was fleeing from God’s presence. Didn’t want to go God’s way but his way. 
  • Ephesians 5:6 “Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience”. 
  • Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth”. 
  • God will send storm into your life because of your disobedience. God loves his children and wants them to walk in the right path, and because of this, he may bring a storm. 
  1. Had a Specific Purpose– Vs 3, “flee.. from the presence of the Lord”. It was to change the direction of Jonah’s life. Jonah was going the wrong way and God wanted to correct his compass. Two times in this verse “from the presence of the Lord”. God want us to stay in his presence and when we choose to leave his presence, he may bring a storm. 
  • No one can run away from the presence of God- God is omnipresent. 
  • Psalm 139:7 “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 
  • Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left”. 
  • God will use a storm to get you back in line with Him. God doesn’t want you to wreck your life. He wants to protect you from the dangers of life. 
  1. Was Severe in Nature– Vs 4 “Great wind”, “mighty tempest in the sea”. Vs 12 “Great tempest”. 
  • I Kings 19:11-13. Elijah, the prophet of God gets discouraged and ends up in a cave and this is what he says. 
  • God will usually speak to us in the still small voice. However, there are times when God really wants to get our attention and will cause a severe storm like he did with Jonah. 
  • Psalm 77:18 “The voice of thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook”. 
  • Exodus 20:18-19 the people were afraid of God when they heard the thunderings and lightnings. 
  1. Didn’t Get his Attention– Vs 4-5 Jonah didn’t get the message from God. He slept just like nothing was going on. 
  • This storm was so strong that the ship was like to be broken. The mariners were afraid and cried. And they’re casting things overboard to lighten the ship and Jonah doesn’t hear any of it. 
  • When Christians don’t care about what God is doing in their life, they sleep very well. 
  • Christians today are asleep while others around them are in distress. While others around them are calling on their gods. While others lighten their load. While others are trying to wake you up and asking you to help them. 
  • You are tired and sleepy because of your busy schedules but your not working for God. Your missing God trying to get your attention. 
  1. Drug Others into his Mess– Vs 12-14 Others will try to help but it won’t work. 
  • These men realized that Jonah was running from God and that God was not playing around and they wanted to help. 
  • Vs 14 Jonah brought innocent blood into his disobedience and problem. Mathew 18:6 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea”. 
  • Our sin and disobedience will want to pull others our way to justify what were doing. To help us and enables us. Don’t do that.
  1. Caused him to be Thrown Overboard and Swallowed by a Whale– Vs 15, 10  Disobedience always has consequences. Lost people will realize you are running from God and they will get rid of you real quick.   
  • The consequences of disobedience will always be different for different people however, God is serious about what he tells YOU to do. 
  • Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceive; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that south to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. 
  • II Corinthians 5:11 “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” God will get our attention one way or another. 
  1. Was Stopped by God-Vs 12, 15- As soon as the problem was dealt with, the storm stopped. Psalm 107:25 “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof as still”.  God is the author and finisher of the storms of life. As soon as God is done teaching you a lesson, he will calm the storm.Don’t miss the lesson God is trying to teach you. For Jonah it was his disobedience which brought the storm. 

Conclusion: Don’t miss what God is trying to teach through the storms of life.