Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. Jonah 1:4 (NIV)
He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) Jonah 1:9-10 (NIV)
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Jonah 1:12 (NIV)
There are times in life that we are busy doing our own thing instead of what God has planned for us. We may have fallen away from God and lost our first love for Him. We may be making poor decisions that are sending our lives in the wrong direction. God can use the circumstances around us, including consequences for our decisions, to change the direction we are going in. He can use a broken relationship to draw us back to Him. He can use a large, unexpected bill to help us get our financial life in order. While we may not enjoy the storms we go through, God can use them for our growth.
Prayer:
God, thank you that you have plans for my life. I’m sorry for going my own way. Show me the areas where I need to change direction and the steps I need to take to go in the right direction. In Jesus’ name. Amen.