- Jonah 1:4 - But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
- Jonah 1:17 - Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
- Psalms 139:7-10 - Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Our moving away from God's calling does not hinder His sovereignty; on the contrary, it shows that He is persistently seeking us. When Jonah fled from the Lord, he probably thought he had escaped an unwanted task. But soon, he found himself in an even more unpleasant situation — inside a great fish, in the midst of an unusual journey. Two points stand out in this story. Jonah's determination to run. Perhaps you, too, have experienced a difficulty like Jonah: God's plans do not align with yours. We can enjoy fellowship with the Lord until He asks us to do something we do not want to do. This is a honest reaction, more common than many admit. But when we run from what God calls us to, the distance we create affects the peace and intimacy we have in the Lord. God's persistence in pursuing Jonah. What is amazing in this story is not Jonah's resistance, but that God did not give up on him. The Lord "sent out a great wind on the sea" and "appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah." These were not just punishments, but God's intervention. God was pursuing Jonah because He had meaningful work for the prophet to do, and He loved the people Jonah needed to reach. When we wander from the path to which God calls us, He does not leave us there alone. He comes after us — not to condemn us, but to bring us back to the fullness of life with Him.
Reflection
In what area of your life do you feel you are moving away from God's calling, and how can you respond to His loving pursuit today?
