Jump Start # 3957
Jonah 1:5 “Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.”
It started with a simple phone call. A young preacher was reaching out for advice. He was discouraged and not sure what he should do. He was concerned about the church where he preached. It seemed that the interest level was low. He would try special classes, but few came. He tried this and that and nothing seemed to be working. He wondered if he was the problem.
We talked. I suggested a variety of ideas. I asked what the shepherds were doing and if they saw what he saw. I then asked him a profound question, “What do you think is keeping these people awake at night?” Was it the dreaded “isms” of the church that we preachers love to preach about? Nope. Was it the plight of brethren in overseas places? Nope. It was finances. It was the kids. It was marriage. It was traveling safely through this dangerous world spiritually. I could tell he was writing things down. I then said, “That’s what you need to be preaching on.” Find out what’s keeping people up at night and show them how the Lord can help them. Worry and fear sure do a number on our faith.
Our verse today, taken from the opening lines of the Jonah story, is very revealing. It shows what the pagan sailors were doing. And, in many, many ways, we can learn from them. The Lord had created a great storm upon the sea. The boat was being shaken. The sailors were afraid. Jonah is clueless, out of touch and asleep in the bottom of the boat. Jonah is like many today. They live in the fantasy world of denial. They don’t see the boat filling up with water. The marriage is about to sink, but they do nothing. The church is sinking and they do nothing. Their souls are sinking and they are asleep spiritually.
These pagan sailors were praying to their gods. They were doing all they could to keep the boat afloat. They were throwing things overboard and eventually, Jonah gets thrown overboard. When you can’t sleep and worry is really bothering you, here are three things you can do.
First, think right. In the Lord’s sermon on the mount, He asked the audience if they were worth more than food and clothing? He asked if they were worth more than birds? Look, Jesus said. Observe, He said. God cares for you. All worry sees are the problems. Faith sees the Lord who is greater than the problems. Worry is not thinking right. Worry is allowing fear and doubt to crush our faith. Worry blinds us to the truths of God’s word. Begin by thinking right. Remember all the passages you know so well. Remember how God has helped His people in the past. Remember God’s faithful promises. Remember how God has been there for you so many times. Getting your thinking right will help you.
Second, pray right. Peter tells us to cast all our anxieties upon Him. The reason Peter tells us is because “He cares for you.” He does. Pray often. Pray deeply. Get our eyes off the problems and look to the Lord. God can do what no one else can. We can’t see into tomorrow. God is already there. I like the statement, “Prayer may not make the morning come faster, but it sure makes the night seem shorter.”
Third, do right. Do something about what is bothering you. The sailors in Jonah’s boat didn’t just ride through the storm crying. They prayed. They tossed. They did all that they could to preserve life. Some just want to pray and do no more. In God’s hand, they tell themselves. God won’t do what we can. Doing things is not a sign that we do not trust God. The Lord works with us and through us. Worried about the children, do something. Worried about your health, do something. Worried about your marriage, do something. Worried about the church, do something. Worried about your soul, do something.
What’s keeping you up at night? Many times it’s things we can do nothing about. But, we know the One who can do all things. He can change the heart of kings. He can open prison doors. He can bring nations up or bring them down. Sometimes we just want to run the universe. We can’t. We shouldn’t. Tossing fear, worry and doubt overboard will help us be peaceful, calm and sure.
Keeping you up at night…learn from the sailors in Jonah’s boat.
Roger