“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)
This passage makes me understand exactly what God expects of us, to acknowledge our mistakes and accept the consequences. Jonah's request should not be interpreted as a desperate reality on his part or as a lack of faith in God but as an acceptance of his error. Rather, it is about absolute trust in God. Knowing that he could never escape God's will to use him for Nineveh's repentance, he preferred to save the lives of the people on the ship. Jonah also knew that God would not let him die like this.
Why was he convinced that throwing him into the sea would calm the storm? Because he knew that God's hand was behind it. Sometimes, a mistake on our part, a sin of some kind can cause many people around us to suffer, like an adulterous husband for example. By his simple act, he hurts his wife, his children, his parents and his wife's parents who trusted him to entrust their daughter to him. You see the damage that a simple act can cause in the lives of many people by indulging in a moment of pleasure.
I love this passage found in Hebrews 12, verse 6: “For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
and scourges every son whom He receives.” By avoiding, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to live according to the desires of your flesh, you will spare those you love from pain. But if in your weakness you fall, if you are willing to acknowledge your sins and accept God's chastening, not only will you be forgiven, but God will also restore his relationship with you as a father who loves His son. Do not ignore your sin or hide it, but acknowledge it and confess it, for God is faithful and just to forgive you and purify you.
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all.
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