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God spoke to the prophet Jonah out of His rich wisdom, His consummate holiness, and His tender compassion. His words were directional, commanding Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and speak up for righteousness. Jonah apparently didn’t think about or pray about his answer to God—he just said an unequivocal and defiant, “No!” Then he ran away as hard and as fast as he could! 

I have always thought it quite interesting that God offered Jonah a job that He knew His prophet was going to turn down. God continues to call people whom He knows will run away from His voice and His purposes. He speaks because He is a loving pursuer and He isn’t one to throw His hands up in frustration over one of His beloved children. When we refuse to obey, God waits, and then He will speak to us again. When we run in the other direction, He is patient, but He will never stop pursuing those who are His own. 

Often, the price we pay for attempting to run away from the voice and presence of the Lord can be described as a “self-inflicted storm.” In our mistrust of the Father and in our rebellion, we can foolishly bring horrific circumstances and unbearable events upon ourselves. 

It is clear that when you sin and then choose to run from God, the people around you will pay the price as well. When you choose fear over faith, and self over sacrifice, the waves of your storm can violently splash upon the people whom you love dearly.


When Jonah took responsibility for his own sin and repented in front of other people who didn’t know the Lord, it changed their lives for all of eternity. Jonah had been chosen by God to make a difference, and every word that he spoke and choice that he made mattered deeply to the world around him. 

The world is waiting for a man or a woman to make the right choice and do the right thing. In every storm, you have power! You have the power of repentance and the power of honesty. Remember that the strength of a storm always lessens when a person simply says, “I was wrong. I’m sorry.”