Your Jonah Moment

Mmmmh hii ya Jonah has worn souls!

Second time sharing in my BSF and today I shared about the Jonah story.

Sometimes we find ourselves in these moments where we’re just not ready to let go of something that God has clearly told us to release or to go on an assignment we aren’t ready to face. And in that moment, we convince ourselves that we’re being wise. Careful. Even prayerful. But deep down, we know: we’re running.

Let me be honest, I’ve had my Jonah moments.

Moments where God said, “Speak,” and I stayed silent.

Moments where He said, “Go,” and I said, “Not yet.”

Moments where I chose Tarshish over Nineveh because Tarshish didn’t require me to face what I feared or forgive who I hated.

But here's the part that got me: Jonah wasn’t just running. He was resisting grace, both for himself and for the people he didn’t think deserved it.

He knew the voice. He knew the mission. But his fear and maybe even his pride made him run in the opposite direction.

And so… God sent a storm.

That verse hit me differently this time around: Not the devil. Not the world. The Lord sent the storm.

How many storms have I blamed on circumstances when really, they were God lovingly rerouting me? Shaking me up not to destroy me, but to bring me back?

And then, oh, this part always humbles me, Jonah in the belly of the fish. Three days. Complete darkness. Nothing but seaweed, regret, and silence.

Yet in that place, he finally prayed.

“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”

Even in the belly, God hears us. That ugly, rock-bottom moment might be the very space where transformation begins.

But what broke me most was this:

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.”

A second time.

What kind of love is this, that God still calls us again after we’ve run? He still trusts us. He still believes we can carry out the assignment. He hasn’t given up.

But even after Jonah obeyed, his heart wasn’t all the way there.

God had forgiven Nineveh, and Jonah couldn't stand it. He basically told God, “See? This is why I didn’t want to come here. I knew You’d be gracious.”

That line brought me to tears. How often have I been angry at God’s grace toward people I didn't think deserved it? How many times have I played the elder brother, the one who stayed, but stayed bitter?

So What’s Your Jonah Moment?

Maybe you’re in a storm right now. Or maybe you're in the belly, wondering if you’ll ever get out. Or maybe… just maybe… God is calling you a second time.

Don’t run. Don’t delay. Don’t let bitterness blind you to grace.

I don’t know who this is for, but if you’re reading this: God is not done with you. Even in your Jonah moment, He is near. Still speaking. Still calling.

Let’s not waste the belly. Let’s not resent the second chance. Let’s go where He sends us, even if we have to go afraid.

Let this be our prayer:

Lord, I don’t want to run anymore. Not from my calling, not from my healing, not from Your grace. Use my Jonah moment to reroute me back to You. Amen.