The Hard to Swallow Truth About Obedience
Sometimes we follow our own GPS instead of God’s clear direction, and like a Canadian woman who drove straight into Georgian Bay because she trusted her navigation system over obvious warning signs, we can end up in deep water. This is exactly what happened to Jonah, the prophet who chose rebellion over obedience and found himself literally in over his head.
Why Does God Send Storms of Correction?
When Jonah ran from God’s call to preach in Nineveh, God sent a powerful storm to chase down His runaway prophet. This wasn’t an act of anger—it was an act of love. Every believer will face storms in life, and they fall into three categories: protecting storms, perfecting storms, and correcting storms.
Understanding God’s Discipline as Love
Jonah’s storm was a correcting storm, sent because he belonged to God. Scripture reminds us that discipline is proof of sonship. Real love sets boundaries and corrects when necessary. Just as loving parents create safe environments through rules and consequences, God disciplines those He loves.
Our culture tells us that love means never judging or correcting someone, but this isn’t true. Real love looks at something false and corrects it. When you disobey God as His child, He won’t let you get away with it—not because He’s angry, but because you belong to Him.
Are We Sleeping While the World Panics?
While the storm raged and pagan sailors panicked, searching desperately for answers, Jonah was sound asleep. This presents a sobering picture of the modern church—resting comfortably while people around us are dying in their sins, terrified and searching for hope.
When Was Your Last Gospel Conversation?
The sailors had to wake Jonah up and ask him to pray. How tragic when the lost have to find the saved and ask them to intercede. When was the last time you had a real conversation with someone about Jesus? When did you last tell someone that Jesus saved your soul and they desperately need the same?
Man is religious by nature—we were made in the image of God. When storms hit and lives spiral out of control, people instinctively cry out to God. Churches fill during crises because something in us knows there’s someone above who can fix what’s broken.
What Does It Mean to Be a Substitute?
When Jonah finally told the sailors what needed to happen—”throw me into the sea and it will become calm”—he became a powerful Old Testament picture of Jesus Christ. Instead of immediately obeying, the sailors rowed harder, trying to save themselves through their own effort.
Salvation Through Sacrifice, Not Effort
This mirrors our world today—people working and striving to fix their lives on their own terms, thinking they can earn salvation through better behavior. But salvation doesn’t come through effort; it comes through sacrifice. Jesus Himself drew the parallel, saying that as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the great fish, so would the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth.
When the sailors finally threw Jonah overboard, the storm stopped and they believed. God used a flawed, reluctant prophet to reveal His power and mercy to a ship full of sailors. The main lesson? God still works through imperfect people once they finally surrender to Him.
Can God Give Second Chances?
After three days in the belly of the fish, Jonah finally prayed. His prayer was filled with scripture, gratitude, and repentance. He didn’t ask for rescue—he simply worshiped, declaring “my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”
God’s Heart for Restoration
When God ordered the fish to spit Jonah onto the beach, He immediately gave him the same mission: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh.” God wasn’t obligated to use Jonah again, but He did. This proves that our God is a God of restoration who gives second chances.
Scripture is full of such examples: Adam and Eve hiding in shame while God called “Where are you?” David’s most fruitful kingdom years came after his adultery and murder. Peter denied Christ three times but was personally reinstated by Jesus after the resurrection.
What Happens When We Return to God?
When God restores us, He often sends us right back to where He wanted us in the first place. The same mission, the same calling. Jesus told the church in Ephesus to “remember, repent, and repeat”—return to the work they did at first.
Jonah emerged from the fish bleached, slimy, and weathered by his ordeal. He looked like he’d been through a storm because he had. But God said, “I can still use you,” and sent him straight back to Nineveh.
Life Application
Maybe you’re navigating a storm of disobedience right now. Don’t panic—that storm isn’t meant to destroy you but to bring you home. It’s a loving correction from your heavenly Father. The same God who gave Jonah a second chance is eager to give you one too.
This week, examine your heart honestly. Are you running from something God has called you to do? Have you been spiritually asleep while the world around you searches desperately for hope? Remember that God isn’t asking you to be perfect—He’s asking you to be surrendered.
Questions for Reflection:
- What is God calling you to do that you’ve been avoiding or running from?
- When was the last time you had a meaningful conversation about Jesus with someone who doesn’t know Him?
- Are there areas of your life where you’re following your own “GPS” instead of God’s clear direction?
- If you’re in a correcting storm right now, how might God be trying to bring you back to Him?