“Sleeping”

So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” (Jonah 1.6)

Are you sleeping through the storm?

The prophet Jonah was awfully comfortable. He had directly disobeyed God’s call to go to Nineveh. Jonah ran from God, took a ship in the opposite direction of Nineveh, and went to sleep. God sent a terrible storm to strike the ship, and the pagan sailors were scared for their lives. They called out to all their false gods, but the storm would not relent. Meanwhile, Jonah continued to sleep (Jonah 1.1-5). Finally, the captain found Jonah and woke him up. The pagan captain, who believed in many gods, wanted Jonah to pray to his God too. Jonah confessed that the storm was his fault for running from God, but Jonah refused to repent. Instead of dealing with the call to Nineveh, Jonah was content to have the sailors throw him off the ship to certain doom (Jonah 1.10-12). Jonah was fine sleeping through the storm or being killed by the storm. He did not want to obey God.

God calls us to do things that we do not always want to do. We are commanded to share the gospel with people of all nations (Matthew 28.19). Like Jonah, we may have a prejudice against some nations or people (Jonah 4.2). We are commanded to forgive our enemies and to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5.38-42; 6.14-15). Like Jonah, we may hope that our enemies are punished (Jonah 4.5). Our sinful motivations can become so ingrained in our thinking that we do not care that we are disobeying God (Hebrews 5.11-14). Like Jonah, we may be comfortably sleeping through the storm caused by our disobedience. Not sharing the gospel and not warning people about sin may result in the destruction of nations or communities. Not forgiving others may result in the destruction of families or a church. Our sin of disobedience can cause many storms (1 Timothy 1.19).

Are you ignoring what God has called you to do? God gives commands, not suggestions. Has your disobedience hurt the lives of others? Do not be passive about the reality that your sin can cause a ripple effect in the lives of others. Are you sleeping through the storm? Wake up and call upon God! He is merciful and forgiving (Ephesians 2.4; 1 John 1.9).

God, thank You for Your patience with me. Wake me from my slumber. Reveal Your will through Your Word and Spirit. Expose my prejudices and disobedience. Forgive me where I fail You and restore my heart to Your will. Amen.

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Sleeping | Jonah 1.6
Weekly Bible Devotional

Written and Produced by:
Reverend David Lyda
Little Stevens Creek Baptist Church
Edgefield, SC

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.