Some see Jonah as a story fit for Sunday School, but I think adults would be surprised at how much they can relate to him. Jonah faced a dilemma: obey God or follow his own reasoning. Jonah chose to skip town in the bowels of a ship where he fell asleep—no doubt assisted by the gentle lapping of the sea against the hull—until God brought a hellish storm.
With the ship pushed to the brink of disaster, the captain rousted Jonah, saying, “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) While the souls of men skirted eternity, Jonah was hidden in darkness, asleep in his comfort. But when God calls you to a task, there is no place to run, nowhere to hide, and it is no time to sleep.
God called Jonah to preach to people known for their wicked practices, but Jonah disagreed with God’s plan. He could have used someone else, but He wanted Jonah. What about you? Have you resisted God’s prompting to share the gospel because you judged someone beyond His mercy and grace? Are you a modern-day Jonah?
Our Lord is as persistent in His pursuit of the saint as He is of the sinner, especially when eternity is at stake. May God forbid us to drift to sleep at a critical hour or embark on a journey other than the one He has ordained. Let us, like Salvation Army’s William Booth, “Go straight for souls and go for the worst.”
