Getting Back on Course
One of the most well-known stories from the Bible is Jonah and the Whale. The story begins with God telling Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and relay a prophecy of disaster due to the city’s sins. However, Jonah does not want to go to Nineveh to deliver the warning. He believes that the city must fall and doesn’t want to give them an opportunity to repent and be saved.
So, Jonah defies God and travels to the city of Joppa instead, where he takes a ship traveling in the opposite direction from Nineveh. The ship sails into an unusually severe storm, and despite the best efforts of the crew, it appears as though the ship will break up. Jonah confesses that the storm is due to his presence on board, and at his request, he is thrown overboard. The storm immediately subsides.
At this point, you would think that God would leave Jonah to fend for himself. After all, he disobeyed direct instructions from Him. But instead, a great fish, or a whale, appointed by God, swallows Jonah—saving his life.
Jonah remains inside the fish for three days and three nights, where he asks God for forgiveness for disobeying His commands. The whale then spits Jonah out on land. Jonah travels to Nineveh and follows God’s instructions—getting back on course.
Like Jonah, we are all human. We make mistakes. We get off track. Sometimes, we even think we know better than God! But luckily for us, God forgives. He loves us so much, that He will never give up on us—even when we directly disobey His wishes. His mercy and love are endless, and He will always be there to help us get on track.
Remember Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
So, if you find that you’ve turned off the path that God wants you to take, rest assured that it’s never too late to find your way back. Ask Him for forgiveness and for His guidance…and then listen. You are human…perfectly imperfect in His eyes. He will answer and He will guide you back home to Him.