11 Because the storm was growing worse
and worse, they said to him,
“What should we do to you so that
the sea might calm down for us?”
12 He said to them,
“Pick me up and throw me
into the sea to make the sea quiet down,
because I know its;s my fault you
are in this severe storm.” Jonah 1:11-12
While the Captain and Sailors scampered about the ship, alarmed at the growing storm, my mind shifted to our homes and our churches. I thought about the calamity I have witnessed in my own home, and the season in which it happened in.
The Sailors, though not right with God, were right with their false god, and not being punished for their non belief, but are facing death because of the disobedience of the Man of God. They are innocent bystanders, doing their jobs, and carrying out their end of the agreement they made with Jonah. Little did they know, they had come into agreement with someone who was not honoring his present agreement with God.
I wondered how many of us have faced storms because we have come into agreement with someone who is being punished for not honoring their agreement. God is putting the pressure on Jonah to honor His agreement, and each hand he shakes while in disagreement has agreed to walk his path of disagreement.
Who’s hand have you shaken?
The reality is that Captain and Sailor suffered, because collecting the fare was their main priority. 
What has the “fare” cost you? They were so busy making money. So busy trying to close deals. So busy trying to build their business. So busy trying to build and stock their barns, that they believed they were prospering because they had collected the proceeds from their business dealing. How many of us have made this mistake? They had full fare in their hands, and would see they didn’t get a “fair deal.”
We learn in the text that The Captain and the Sailors will suffer far more than the fare they gained from Jonah. Because they took Jonah on Board, they lost the cargo from other agreements. Prayerfully they had insurance on their cargo! Because of this agreement, they will either owe a debt to those cargo they carry, or will suffer the loss of future gain from merchandise they intended to sale and trade.
What have you lost coming into agreement with disagreement?
Their seaworthy ship is put to the test because of their agreement to transport Jonah. They enable Jonah to be in rebellion, helping him flee from God, and because of that, they suffer. Furthermore, the text lets us know they were in a sea that was growing. The longer you stay in agreement with disagreement, the more stronger the storm will become.
The Captain and Sailor realize that dumping the cargo was a mistake. It lightened the load, possibly extending the life of the ship, but it failed to deliver them from the storm, and the storm progressed. The now realize through the lot, that the thing they needed to separate themselves from was Jonah. They had dumped the wrong cargo!
The question now is, what do we do with Jonah?
Since dumping the cargo didn’t stop the storm, they paused to inquire of Jonah. See, Jonah’s God was foreign to them. They knew how to appease their false gods, and had tried all they knew to appease Jonah’s God.
The storm was about to destroy the ship and they were at wits end,
…”What should we do to you so that
the sea might calm down for us?”…
They were desperate. Their lives were at stake. They were ready and willing to do what was necessary to Jonah to save their life and their ship. Though they valued Jonahs life but in desperation were willing to do what was necessary to save their live and stabilize their ships. I believe we must take a similar stance!
At some point, we must be willing to take the action needed to save the ship. What are you holding onto that could destroy it all? What have you considered so important that you aren’t willing to part with or cast over for future sake? Some of us must begin to ask the question “what should we do…?” This “we” tickles me, because I don’t always have the strength and or power to throw the off bring item out on its tail. Sometimes we need the we to work together to obtain healing and strength.
The last piece of this text was Jonahs response. Jonah arises from his sleep, identifies himself as well he problem, and says, “throw me overboard!” Jonah took responsibility for the storm and safety of the people. He saw the danger his disobedience caused, and gave his life so that the life of the innocent could be spared.
Will you take responsibility?
Jonah didn’t want to die, but he didn’t want others to have to suffer from his disobedience. Brothers and Sisters, we need to do the same! When our disobedience is at play, and others are starting to pay, we should be willing to be pay the consequence.
I wondered why he didn’t jump. Surely he could have climbed over the edge. But Jonah said, I don’t have the strength to jump, so I need your help to face the hand of God! Jonah allowed the men to hold him accountable! Honestly, in this life, we will all face things that we don’t have strength enough to face ourselves!
Who holds you accountable?
Who helps you go before the throne of grace? Who confronts you when you are captured by sin? Who helps you get in line with Gods will?
I thank God that my life has some people who are willing to confront me and cast me! People who, if not just for their own sake, will force me to get in line with the will of God for my life and the lives of others.
I wonder how our families and congregations would be different if we took responsibility for our error, and then took the necessary steps to realign with God? How many families would be saved? What message would be communicated to those watching? Would they be convicted? Would they be encouraged? Would they change? Would they have increased faith? Would our conviction and commitment build their faith?
Great things happen when the Man and Woman of God are in alignment with the will of God. My prayer is the this year will be a year where we take the responsibility to come into alignment with God, and the lives of Gods people will be stabilized and secure.
#PastorJDO3
The statement was like sniffing an ammonia packet. It jolted me back into reality. I was forced in that moment to not only identify myself, but acknowledge my identity. Like Jonah, I was away on a ship, resting in my disobedience. Satisfied with God’s displeasure. Not interested in being active in the Kingdom. Informed as to who I was, but not ready to carry out the role and responsibility.
Long before Jonah accepted His call, his people was chosen by God to be their own. Had not Abraham chosen to be obedient, Jonah wouldn’t be favored and positioned. He is a child of God, whether he liked it or not. He was chosen by God to speak His truth, whether he agreed or not. He, much like the others was not deserving of God’s selection, just a recipient of it. 
Could it be that our sleep and indifference towards our God and our purpose is causing those around us and or attached to us to feel the trauma of our disobedience? Here God is using every tool to get Jonah attention, and his deaf ears towards the Lord are causing his fellow shipmates to suffer.
Here we find our first question. It is spoken to Jonah by the Captain of the ship; “How is it that you are sleeping?” The Captain is watching the ship starting to break and knows that he and the others will soon follow. He stands over Jonah, who is getting the best sleep of his life, and ask Him “How is it that you are sleeping?” 
But don’t just “Get Up”, the captain says “Call on your god”. I love that the captain says “god” and his generic thought, caused the writer not to capitalize the the “G” in “God”. He didn’t believe in Yahweh, but he was in need of a way! He had tried what he knew, spoke to who he trusted, asked for help in whom he believed in, and now was open to receiving help and to changing his life. There will be some people we encounter on our journey that are like this captain. People that enjoy the feeling of being in control over their life and destination, until a storm brews and performs. It’s then that we must be able to speak for the truth of God that lives will not only be spared, but saved.
This brothers and sisters is not everyday. Jonah could have waited days, months, even years for God’s to come. And “The Word of the Lord came to Jonah…” and Jonah “Rose up to flee...” The one who’s job it is to be in the presence of God, listens to the Word of God, and decides its better to flee His presence, than to fulfill His purpose.
God spoke to Jonah, just like I hear Him crying out today, but many have “hidden themselves” stopping up their ears in rebellion, and choosing not to deliver His message to His people, and His church is suffering our rebellion! Disobedience continues to reign, because correction has been with held, the rod has been burned, and worldly pleasure and pursuits have been elevated in the face of God’s people.
You were (correction; are) just like the bunch you were called out of. The sole difference was your willingness to be obedient, and now that is in question? Shame on you! Shame on any of us that restrict and reserve truth from anyone. We must be willing to go into any part we are directed into, insuring that all have a chance/an opportunity to get their relationship right with God.
Prophet; you can not flee from His presence! There is no Hide and Seek! He knows where you are, be it “near” or “far”. These terms apply to us, but to one who is omnipresent, they aren’t limiting or descriptive at all. God is everywhere at the same time, but is not acknowledged everywhere and at all times. He see’s all, hears all, knows all, and we must trust that He knows exactly what is best, despite our advice and counsel. 
As she ages, the community learns more about her. God reveals His power through her barrenness, and shows His compassion in her conception with Zechariah. We all learn as a community and as readers of her story, that God had saved her womb to deliver to the world a gift named John.
Though they had lived for God, they hadn’t experienced the powerful move of God in their lives. God, though for them, had previously not revealed His purpose for their lives, and they now walked in the moment of His revelation. They served him publicly by carrying his revelation, but worshiped Him privately for allowing them to carry and bring forth his creation. Others only saw part of what God was doing through them. They saw they were blessed with child, but didn’t know the true gift they carried, and the true significance of them being chosen to birth forth Prophet and Messiah that would be for them and all mankind.
Mary and Elizabeth, found as we will, that walking with God is its own reward. Reserving your self and preparing yourself will result in the freedom to walk in favor, and to bring forth the miraculous! The less we have to shed, the quicker we can align our will with His will and flourish in purpose. I love that Mary was able to say, “…be it done to me…” She didn’t ask for time, she asked for his will to be done. She had lived for him before, and would continue to live for Him. So too was Elizabeth. Learning from Sarah, she didn’t seek to make provision for herself, she waited on God, and walked with God.
Having a community of people looking down upon you, and speaking about you as one who lacks discipline and commitment to the Lord. People questioning your every move, thinking your public and private lives to be two islands without a bridge. This is Elizabeth!
The reality was, Zechariah’s seed had the power to impregnate her the entire time, but didn’t have permission from God to unite with her seed. Elizabeth was capable of conceiving and carrying, but God had yet to speak to her eggs; releasing them to be fertilized. He then orchestrated a harmony with one seed to break through and produce the one that would make the path straight.
While the rest of us would have been eager to show ourselves to the crowd, she reserved the joy of the gift of John as a moment between her and God. I imagine she has a moment like Sally Fields, who uttered the words “…you like me! You REALLY Like me!” Elizabeth gave the first moments of praise and adoration to God. She was not controlled or influenced by the the crowd, nor was she eager to impress them with her new found status. She secluded herself, reserving the first moments of joy to spend with the Lord, who is the only one that matters.
If only we were the same! “You Like me! You really like me,” Sally exclaimed, excited to received her second award. It was received as validation. It took what she suspected and made it something she knew. I suspect these early moments were the same for Elizabeth. Once the Words of the Lord comforted her, but her growing belly now erased any doubt she had lingering. 
He left the house of God! We are unaware of the thoughts of Zechariah and or the distance he had to his home. What we do know is that he had just encountered an angel from the Lord, and heard a promise from the Lord that answered his life long prayer. I would like to argue that his faith was increased because God took his voice away, but as one who has left the altar in unbelief, I will argue that he went home anticipating that things would be the same, and would not change.
God is busy building things, and our perspective, attitude and lack of belief are determining factors as to what God can manifest through us. Much like the children of God, we spend our time analyzing and demanding of God, frustrated because we know he is often capable, but not willing. Having said this, often is is God being willing to do what He is capable of, but us not being able to believe He will do what He says.