The Book of Jonah

The book of Jonah is a short yet puzzling account of adventure and God’s grace. It showcases God’s amazing mercy, even for the wicked. Before diving into today’s post, take a moment to read Jonah 1:11-16.

As believers, we know that even in grave situations, God works all things for His glory. Take the sailors, for example:

They were pagan men, from a pagan land, worshiping pagan gods until this deadly storm came out of nowhere. Perhaps they were not entirely pagan, because in Jonah 1:14, they beg God to forgive them for killing an innocent man.

They had no desire to throw Jonah overboard. However, Jonah convinced them they must do so to save their own lives. Therefore, they had no choice but to throw him into the sea.

Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.”

Jonah 1:14 (ESV)

The Rest of the Story

We all know the rest of the story. God provided a way out of danger for Jonah and taught him valuable lessons. But what about the sailors? Look at Jonah 1:16 and see how this crazy situation changed their lives!

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Jonah 1:16 (ESV)

These sailors ended up fearing God, making a sacrifice to Him, and making vows to serve Him. Not to bang the sovereignty of God drum too loud, but what if Jonah had gone straight to Nineveh? Would the sailors still have made vows to God?

Difficult to Comprehend

Though difficult to comprehend, it’s totally within God’s authority to use our disobedience (like Jonah’s) to bring more people to Himself. Today, think about this as you interact with numerous people in a variety of situations.

Whether you’re following God’s leading or not, don’t underestimate the possibility that God may be working a far greater plan for someone else.

We Are Tools for His Glory

We must always remember that we are simply tools by which our Creator uses for His glory.

Join the Conversation; Share Your Thoughts

• Have you ever experienced a situation where God used your mistakes for the greater good?
• What lessons can we learn from Jonah’s story about obedience and God’s sovereignty?
• How can we remain open to God’s plans, even when we don’t understand them?