4 Things I learned From Jonah

As I was reading through God's Word with the Sweeter Than Honey Bible reading plan this summer, on June 21, I came to the story of Jonah and the great big fish.

As I read the book of Jonah, one question immediately came to mind—Why did Jonah ever think he could escape from the presence of the Lord? Have you ever wondered that too?

When the men on the ship ask Jonah, “…What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” (1:8) “he said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I FEAR THE LORD, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land’” (1:9). 

I find it ironic that Jonah, who tells a bunch of sailors he fears the Lord God of Heaven who made the sea, is trying to run from his God.

Jonah was a desperate man! He was in a desperate situation, but then so was Nineveh. Let's look today at four things we can learn from Jonah's story.

1. We can say we fear the Lord, but our actions may not back that up.

Jonah says he fears “the Lord, the God of Heaven, who made the sea and the dry land" (1:9). Yet, twice in Jonah 1:3, the Bible tells us that Jonah is trying to flee “from the presence of the Lord.”

"But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord." Jonah 1:3

Then, verse 10 of that same chapter says that Jonah even told the men on the ship “…that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord” (1:10).

As we read on in chapter 1, we see that the men of the ship did not initially throw Jonah into the sea, as he requested. They first tried to row the boat toward the shore, but when the sea grew more and more tempestuous, and they could not row the boat to shore, they threw Jonah into the raging sea.

We all know what happened next, right? The sea became calm again!

Jonah said he feared the Lord, but his actions did not back that up.

2. God can use even our bad decisions for His glory.

But don’t miss this, friend: ”…and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows” (1:15-16).

Jonah not only reached the people of Nineveh, in his attempt to escape the presence of the Lord he also reached the men on this ship! Have you ever thought about that? Have you ever considered how God can use even our bad decisions for His ultimate glory?

3. God hears our desperate prayers of faith.

I absolutely love the story of Jonah! Many times God has called me to do something I didn’t really want to do–something way outside of my comfort zone. Has He called you there too?

Jonah was there, and he ended up in the belly of a whale! It's unlikely you or I will ever end up in the belly of a whale, but there, Jonah prayed a desperate prayer. His desperate prayer was also a simple prayer of faith.

The Bible tell us that:

• The waters closed in over Jonah.
• The deep surrounded him.
• Seaweed wrapped around his head.
• He went down to the bottom of the sea.

“…yet You brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God” (2:6).

When you need to pray a prayer of desperation, remember friend, God hears you!

4. Our God is a God of second chances.

​I love that we serve a God of second chances, don't you!? ​

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time…” (3:1).

Who here, beside me, has needed second chances!? We probably all have, right?

There is so much to learn from the book of Jonah!  In chapter 3 we see the word “relent.” The King of Nineveh said, ​

“…let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and RELENT and turn from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (3:8-9).

The passage goes on to say,

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God RELENTED of the disaster that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it” (3:8-10).

Can we change the mind of God by our actions? It sure seems as if the people of Nineveh did.

And then, there’s chapter 4 of Jonah where Jonah clearly needs as attitude adjustment. I’ve been there too. Have you? Another opportunity for a second chance!

I'm so glad our God is a God of second chances!

There are so many good lessons waiting for us in the book of Jonah! What's your favorite?