When Running Isn’t an Option From Jonah 1:5–17

Have you ever tried running from something you knew you couldn’t escape?

Maybe it was a hard conversation you kept avoiding. A responsibility you were trying to dodge. A truth you didn’t want to face. Like Jonah, you knew what you should do but instead, you boarded a metaphorical ship to Tarshish, hoping that distance would drown out the call.

Here’s the real question: What does it take for God to get your attention? A whisper? A nudge? Or does it sometimes take a storm?

In Jonah 1, we meet a man fast asleep while chaos reigns around him. A prophet in rebellion, a storm sent by God, and a ship full of pagan sailors doing everything they can to survive. And through it all, God isn’t absent; He’s present. Working. Calling. Reconciling.

Because here’s the truth: God wants reconciliation and He will use whatever, whoever, and however He must to bring it about.

So how does God reach us when we’re the ones who ran?

1. God Reconciles by Using Unbelievers (Jonah 1:5–7)

While the storm raged, the sailors panicked. They prayed to their gods. They tossed cargo overboard. Meanwhile, Jonah was, of all things, asleep. Not praying. Not helping. Not even present. Just hiding below deck in silence.

Eventually, the captain shakes Jonah awake: “Call to your god! Maybe He’ll spare us!”

But still, Jonah says nothing.

So the crew casts lots and the lot falls on Jonah.

In that moment, even pagan sailors recognized that Jonah’s God was the reason behind the storm. The irony? Jonah was trying not to be used by God and yet even in his rebellion, he was still being used.

This isn’t the first time God used those outside the faith to accomplish His purposes:

• Nebuchadnezzar, a Babylonian king, was used by God to discipline His people (Jer. 27:6).

• Cyrus of Persia helped rebuild Jerusalem (Isa. 45:1).

• Balaam, hired to curse Israel, was made to bless them (Num. 22–24).

• The Magi, pagan astrologers, honored Christ at His birth (Matt. 2:1–12).

• Even Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to death, played a role in God’s redemptive plan (John 19:11).

God is not limited by who’s “in” or “out.” If He wants to reach you, He may use unlikely people to do it.

2. God Reconciles by Using Fear (Jonah 1:8–10)

After being exposed, Jonah finally speaks: “I’m a Hebrew. I worship the Lord the God who made the sea and the dry land.”

It’s the first time Jonah actually acknowledges God in this story. And when he does, something shifts.

The sailors move from fearing the storm to fearing the One who made the storm.

This isn’t just terror. This is awe. A reverent recognition that God is powerful, present, and holy.

This is a pattern we see throughout Scripture:

• At Mount Sinai, fear of God helped the Israelites take His commands seriously (Ex. 20:20).

• In Acts 5, fear fell upon the early church after Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit.

• When Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples weren’t just relieved. They were terrified by His authority (Mark 4:41).

Sometimes fear is the wake-up call we need.

Fear is a powerful motivator, but it’s not the foundation of our relationship with God. He is powerful, yes. But He is also merciful. Jonah needed “tough love.”  And sometimes, we do too.

3. God Reconciles with Those Who Call Out (Jonah 1:11–16)

After Jonah’s confession, the sailors ask, “What should we do?”

Jonah tells them to throw him into the sea.

At first, they refuse. They row harder. They try everything else. But the storm only worsens.

Finally, they call out to God: “Please, don’t let us perish because of this man!” They throw Jonah overboard, and the storm immediately stops.

What happens next is remarkable: “They were seized by great fear of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice and made vows” (Jonah 1:16).

The very men who started the day crying out to false gods ended the day worshiping the one true God.

Reconciliation doesn’t always look like Jonah preaching a sermon. Sometimes it looks like God using desperation to lead someone to worship.

Romans 10:13 says,

“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

That’s what the sailors did. And that’s what God invites us to do.

Final Thought:

Maybe you’ve been running. Maybe you’re in the middle of the storm. Maybe you’re hoping the distance will drown out the call of God.

Here’s what you need to know: God wants reconciliation. He’s not above using a storm to wake you up. He’s not above using unlikely people to speak truth into your life. He’s not above using fear to stir your heart. But ultimately, it comes down to this:

Will you call out to Him?

He’s already made a way. He already sent His Son. He’s already proven He’ll go to any length to bring you back. All that’s left is for you to stop running and call out.

This blog post is based on a sermon preached by Wes McGarry to Gospel Community Church.