The storm proves otherwise

But the Lord brought a great storm on the sea. The wind made the sea very rough. The storm was very strong, and the boat was ready to break apart. The men wanted to make the boat lighter to stop it from sinking, so they began throwing the cargo into the sea. The sailors were very afraid. Each man began praying to his god. (Jonah 1:4-5)

We asked the important question yesterday: "Can we outrun God?" Though we attempt everything to outrun his call, we need to pause for a moment to consider God doing whatever it takes to get us back on course in our lives. Is it possible that some of the 'storms' we have in life are caused because we have been trying to outrun something God has asked us to do? We find one distraction after another, or just plain go the opposite direction, hoping to put some distance between us and whatever it is God asks of us. The moment we decide to 'run' is the moment God begins to prepare the storm!

We might find that the general condition of our life's events turns from smooth sailing to rough seas. The more we resist God's pull, the harder it gets for us to navigate our life. Why? God knows the best path for us is one of obedience and there is nothing he asks of us that is 'too hard' or 'too impossible' for us. The moment we resist his work within our hearts, minds, or souls, the storm begins to ramp up. It isn't to punish us, but to make us see the futility of our 'retreat' to our places of perceived safety. Jonah went to the interior of the boat and attempted to sleep through the storm. In case you have done something similar, you are not alone!

There is always a cost to our rebellion. These boat owners and sailors counted on the delivery of that cargo they were forced to throw overboard that day. They would have lost the income that would have come when the cargo was safely delivered to its destination. Instead, they attempt to control the effects of the storm by lightening the load the boat was carrying. We need to understand that the 'storm' in our lives rarely just affects us. It has some form of ripple-down effect into the lives of others. We may be resisting God's call to obedience, but when we do, we begin to affect the lives of those who are nothing more than innocent bystanders. 

Disobedience isn't ever the easy way out. God will pursue us in whatever way is necessary to see our lives put back on track. We might think we can escape, but the 'storm' proves otherwise. Just sayin!