Thursday Devo
Scripture:
Jonah 1:9-16
9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”
12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”
13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Commentary:
1:14–15 called out. Whereas each of the sailors had prayed to his god (v. 5), they now pray to the LORD. The pagan sailors, not Jonah, are concerned that people not perish. Have done as it pleased you echoes the liturgical language of Ps. 115:3 and 135:6, and is thus the sailors’ confession of faith in the absolute sovereignty of God. The sailors’ actions are in harmony with God’s: as God had hurled the wind onto the sea (see note on Jonah 1:4–5) to start the storm, the sailors now hurl Jonah to stop the storm (see v. 12).
1:15 The saving of mariners through the sacrifice of Jonah prefigures the salvation of all nations through the death of Christ (1 John 2:2).
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1688.
1:15 The saving of mariners through the sacrifice of Jonah prefigures the salvation of all nations through the death of Christ (1 John 2:2).
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1688.
Questions:
Jonah’s story points us to Jesus, but in many ways Jonah is a distorted mirror of the Savior to come. Both Jonah and Jesus were in a boat during a storm. Both were asleep. Both became connected to the calming of the sea. But the similarities only magnify the differences.
Jonah slept because he was indifferent and running from God; Jesus slept because He fully trusted the Father and held authority over the storm itself. Jonah was thrown into the sea because of his own rebellion; Jesus willingly stepped into death to rescue us from ours. Jonah resisted showing mercy to his enemies, while Jesus gave His life so that enemies could be forgiven and brought near to God.
Jonah slept because he was indifferent and running from God; Jesus slept because He fully trusted the Father and held authority over the storm itself. Jonah was thrown into the sea because of his own rebellion; Jesus willingly stepped into death to rescue us from ours. Jonah resisted showing mercy to his enemies, while Jesus gave His life so that enemies could be forgiven and brought near to God.
- What is hardest for you to surrender to God right now? Is there an area where obedience feels costly because you’re afraid of losing comfort, control, approval, security, or your own plans? Why do you think surrender can sometimes feel more threatening than trusting yourself?
- When life becomes difficult, why is it easy to question God’s goodness or doubt His intentions toward us? How does the cross remind us that God’s heart toward us is loving, trustworthy, and good?
- Jonah ignored the storm and disconnected from reality, while Jesus rested in confidence that the Father was in control. In your own life right now, are you more tempted to avoid, numb, and ignore what God is doing or are you able to trust Him in the middle of uncertainty? What would it look like to move from avoidance to trust?
Prayer Topics:
- That God would help you trust His heart and His plans more than your own understanding.
- That the cross would remind you that surrender to Jesus is not loss, but the path to life and peace.
- That God would replace fear, avoidance, and self-protection with deeper trust and obedience.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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