Encountering an extraordinary God in ordinary life
Issue # 260 September 14, 2001
Asleep at the wheel

Sometimes when we read the Bible, we’re familiar with the story and tend to scan through it and gloss over the details. We “know” the story so well that we don’t think their is anything more that we can learn.

A favorite Bible story of mine is about Jonah and the big fish. I’ve read it many times and I “know” the story.

I was re-reading it this morning and I was struck by something I had never really paid attention to before

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." Jonah 1:1-6 NIV

Jonah neglects the Lord’s call, runs away and the ship ends up in trouble. Those are the events that led up to him being thrown overboard and swallowed by the fish.

What struck me was the pagan sailors praying and calling out to their gods while Jonah slumbered comfortably below deck.

Instead of interceding in prayer, he was asleep at the wheel, so to speak.

How often does the world cry out for help from gods who cannot help, while we slumber comfortably? We know the true God, we can talk with Him, we know His power, but we sleep lazily away.

Our world is in turmoil. Our nation and it’s friends and enemies are in need of God. Will you intercede on their behalf in prayer or keep on sleeping at the wheel?

Until next time, may the Spirit move you to deep, heartfelt, prayer for those who are lost and crying out to helpless gods for rescue.

God bless.

Kevin