Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

Pursued for a Purpose

Valarie Bastek

Jonah 1:4

As a young adult, I felt a strong calling to ministry. I longed to share my heart for God through writing and teaching. But I abandoned that calling, letting fear and shame convince me I wasn’t equipped to share His Word.

Still, God has a way of drawing our attention back to what we try to ignore. Over the past five years, I've marveled at how He has drawn me back to this calling, ordering my steps on His path.

Today’s verse shows how our powerful God pursues us to live out His purpose, even when we resist. Yesterday we found Jonah boarding a ship to Tarshish, sailing away “from the presence of the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Jonah 1:3) and actively disobeying God’s call to go to Nineveh. But today’s verse begins, “But the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Jonah 1:4) — signaling how God intervened in response.

God “hurled a great wind,” causing a storm so fierce “the ship threatened to break up” (Jonah 1:4). This was no ordinary storm, nor was it a coincidence. It was not meant to harm Jonah but to bring him back to God and His mission.

It may seem strange that a good God would use a destructive storm to get Jonah’s attention. But God had a purpose and a plan for Jonah that was bigger than just him. The storm was also to help his shipmates (Jonah 1:16); the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10); and generations beyond, including us (Matthew 12:40-41). And Jonah’s rebellion would not stop that plan.

God desires our obedience not because He is harsh but because He has good purposes for us — filled with righteousness and redemption (Matthew 6:33; Ephesians 1:7-10). Nothing can stand in the way of His will (Job 42:2). Even when sin separated us from Him, God sent His Son so we might be saved (Romans 5:8). His love “surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19), and He fiercely pursues us so we may experience fullness in Him.

Perhaps today, some of us feel like Jonah. We’ve boarded the ship. We’re running. But the storm has come, and it is fierce. If we listen closely, can we hear God’s voice mercifully and lovingly calling us back to Him? Will we surrender in obedience to His call?