The Sovereignty of God

Jonah 1:4, ESV

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

Jonah 1:7, 15-17, ESV

And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. … So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1-2, ESV

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Jonah 2:10, ESV

And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

‭‭Jonah‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬, ‭ESV

Now the Lord God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered.‬‬

God of the wind and the waves. God of the sea and its creatures. God of the plant and the worm, the sun and the shade. 

God of judgment and God of compassion. God of grace and God of patience.

God who turned the storm into a catalyst of salvation for pagan sailors. 

God who turned the belly of a fish into a prayer closet for repentance.

And God who turned the grave of Jesus into the resurrection and hope of all the world.

We serve the God who is sovereign over all things—over every single situation of our lives—from the greatest to the smallest. From the whale to the worm.

God who sends a storm to startle or a fish to swallow or a worm to devour if we need to be turned around. 

God who finds us and fights for us to walk in His will. 

God whose desire is to bring redemption to all people and who can turn our darkest moments into our greatest victories.