Call Out to God
Have you ever been caught in a storm? Don’t you just love it when you’re driving some place and the bottom falls out right before you have to get out of the car? And then you have to run through the rain and get inside looking like a wet cat. In today’s text, amidst Jonah’s running, God sends a storm.
Jonah 1:4-6 – 4 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. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
God is sovereign over all creation. (4)
Verse 4 begins with, “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.” Who is the center of the story here? It’s not Jonah. He may think it’s all about him. We so often think the world revolves around us, like people thought the solar system rotated around the earth before the Copernican revolution. Life’s not about us. And Jonah’s not the center of the story. God is the center of the story. As He is the center of all things. Notice how the storm came about. God sent it. God is sovereign over all creation.
The structure of this verse places the Lord (YHWH) as the primary actor. God’s sovereignty is central to the story from the very beginning. The Hebrew verb for “hurled,” used in this verse, communicates a sense of intentionality and power. It’s like the throwing of a spear. Or, we just got done with the Olympics. It’s like a javelin toss. God steps back, takes off running, and hurls a storm upon the sea. New world record! Just kidding, I think Noah’s flood is probably the world record for God-hurled storms. All this is intended to show us that the storm was not a random happening. It was a deliberate act of God, not only showing His control over nature, but also His determination to bring Jonah back to His plan. God is sovereign over all creation—the wind and the waves, the boat, the sailors, Jonah…and you.
The storm we see here is both a manifestation of God’s righteous judgment and a physical barrier to Jonah’s escape. It’s divine intervention to redirect Jonah, showing that it’s futile to run away from God’s will. Jonah’s attempt to flee is portrayed as not only useless but absurd. The very creation that Jonah tries to use to escape God— the sea—becomes the instrument through which God reasserts His authority.
As we think on this, we have to realize that God’s sovereignty isn’t limited to Jonah’s story. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things (that includes you!), from the vastness of the universe to the minutiae of your daily life. When you face storms in your life—whether they are trials, frustrations, or corrections from God—remember that they are not outside of God’s control. He uses them to accomplish His purposes, to draw you closer to Him, to bring you back when you stray from His path.
We can’t outrun God, and any attempt to do so only leads to further turmoil. Instead, we are called to recognize His sovereign hand in all things and to respond with faith and obedience.
In your life, when you encounter situations that feel overwhelming or when you are tempted to run from God’s calling, remember that the storms you face are under God’s control. He hurls them with purpose, not to destroy us, but to correct, teach, and guide us back to Him. Our response should be one of humble submission, acknowledging that God is sovereign over all creation and trusting that His purposes are ultimately for our good and His glory.
Our sin doesn’t only affect us.
The decisions we make, especially those that involve running from God or disobeying His commands, often have far-reaching consequences that impact the lives of those around us.
Jonah’s decision to flee from God’s command to go to Nineveh didn’t just put his own life in danger—it also imperiled the lives of the sailors who were with him on the ship. These men were innocent of Jonah’s disobedience, yet they found themselves caught in a life-threatening storm because of his actions. Their fear and desperation were direct results of Jonah’s sin.
The sailors were seasoned mariners, used to facing the dangers of the sea. They were prepared to take a 2,500-mile voyage. Yet this storm was different. It was so fierce and sudden that it drove them to cry out to their gods and throw their cargo overboard in an attempt to save themselves. Despite their efforts, nothing they did could calm the storm because the source of their trouble wasn’t natural but spiritual. The storm was sent by God in response to Jonah’s rebellion, and until that issue was addressed, the storm would continue to rage.
Our sins, our acts of disobedience, and our attempts to run from God’s will can bring unintended harm to those around us. Our families, friends, coworkers, and even strangers can suffer the consequences of our choices. Just as Jonah’s sin brought a storm upon the sailors, our sins can create storms in the lives of others—storms of conflict, pain, and suffering.
When we sin, we often drag others into our mess. Jonah’s disobedience led to a situation where these sailors, who had nothing to do with his calling or his decision to flee, were forced to deal with the consequences. They were caught in the crossfire of Jonah’s rebellion against God. When Adam and Eve sinned, it brought the world crashing down. When we sin, we can bring worlds crashing down too.
Just this realization alone can be enough fuel to resist temptation. I once heard, I think it was from Danny Akin (the president of Southeastern Seminary) say about resisting sexual sin, “No sin is that good.” Meaning no sin is good enough in that moment to give up your family or your career or even your life. He then went on to say that our problem isn’t with resisting sin. We all can do that. Our problem is with our incentives to resist sin. What we find as most valuable. If you knew your loved one would die if you did this one particular sin, you wouldn’t have a self-control problem. You wouldn’t do that sin. The ultimate incentive of our lives should be the glory of God flowing from the grace of God. There is no greater incentive to live for God than that. But, we do so often sin. And we do so often hurt others in our rebellion.
Sin is never a private matter. It affects so many more people than just ourselves. We must not resist Him. We must instead submit to Him.
When facing God, the only appropriate response is submission before Him. (5)
Verse 5 continues the narrative with a contrast between the pagan sailors and the prophet Jonah: "Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep."
These were trained sailors, used to the dangers of the sea, yet this storm incited a fear that drove them to cry out to their gods. Their instinct was to seek supernatural help in the face of overwhelming circumstances. It’s the same with us. You know, I’ve heard it said that there are no atheists in fox holes. No matter how much they cried out to their pantheon of gods, their cries were in vain, though. They were calling out to gods who could not save them. Who weren’t real.
This reminds me of the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal,[1] where the prophets called on their god with no response. Elijah even mocked them telling them their god was probably busy using the potty. In the same way, the sailors called out to their pantheon of gods, but nothing changed. They ended up throwing cargo overboard in a useless attempt to save themselves, much like how many people today turn to so many different things—wealth, status, the constant desire for more and for what’s new, comfort, or other idols—only to find those things equally powerless to save and to satisfy.
While the sailors were doing everything they could to appease their gods, the focus of the narrative shifts now to Jonah. God, in His sovereignty, had caused this storm because of Jonah’s disobedience, yet Jonah went down into the inner parts of the ship and fell asleep. The contrast is almost comical, intentionally so. The ship is personified. It becomes animated-like. It is "threatening" to break apart. This Hebrew word here means to think or consider. Or here’s another word it means that you might get, “reckon.” The ship turned all country and said, “Well I reckon I’ll sink now.” Here’s what’s happening: The ship itself is responding to God’s judgment, while Jonah, God’s prophet, is apathetic and asleep.
How could Jonah sleep when the storm was raging? This question is as much for you and me as it is for him. The ship was responding to God’s judgment, the sailors were responding to the storm, but Jonah remained asleep, both physically and spiritually.
Think about your own life. We might not physically sleep through the storms of life, but we can become numb to God’s voice, trying to block out His call and His will with distractions or retreating into inaction and passivity. The sailors, despite their ignorance of the true God, understood the urgency of the situation. They knew that a response was necessary, even if their response was misplaced. They knew the only appropriate response was submission.
Jonah’s sleep represents a dangerous complacency that we must constantly guard against. The storms in our lives—whether they are trials, corrections, or divine interventions—are calls to wake up and respond to God. To surrender and submit to the one true God. The sailors, with all their misguided efforts, at least understood the need to act. We so often sit still.
This reminds me of how my brother came to follow Jesus. He ran from God and pursued the things of the world while in high school. Once after getting caught partying, my mom got him a Bible and laid it on his bed. Another time he got caught, she had that Bible opened and underlined Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Each time, he just pushed it aside. Fast forward and he’s a freshman in college at UT Knoxville. He was caught partying, almost getting kicked out and was about to flunk out. You know what he did amidst that storm? He grabbed that Bible that my mom gave him those times before. And when he opened it, you know what page it fell to? That page with Proverbs 3:5-6 underlined. He knew he had to submit to God and quit running from him. So, he did. That moment mattered so much for him he ended up getting the words “surrender to Him” tattooed on his chest. My brother is a pastor, is in seminary, and is planting a church in Cookeville now. Thank God for the storms of life that draw us to surrender to Him!
Both the ship and the sailors responded to God's judgment, the storm, yet Jonah didn’t. This is a sobering reminder for us that it is possible to be so deep in our disobedience that we fail to recognize God’s hand in our circumstances. When God’s storm comes, may we not be found asleep, but rather on our knees, bowing in submission to the One who controls the wind and the waves.
God hears when you call out to Him. (6)
Finally, we come to verse 6: “So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.””
The captain’s words are filled with urgency and desperation. Remember, the ship is contemplating going down! He can’t comprehend how Jonah can sleep in the midst of such a life-threatening storm. He commands him to “get up and call on your god.” You know what? This is the same language God used when He first called Jonah to go to Nineveh. There is a profound irony here: a pagan captain, unaware of Jonah’s identity as a prophet, urges him to do what he should have been doing all along—calling out to God.
Heres the thing. If Jonah would have called out, do you know what God would have done? He would have listened. He hears when we call out to Him. That’s what we see all throughout scripture. Just like when the Israelites were crying out to God while under Egyptian oppression.[2] They cried and God listened. It’s just like when King David is fleeing from his enemies. He cried and God listened. It’s just like when King David is crying out in repentance, saying to God, “Against you only have I sinned.”[3] He cried and God listened. It’s the same for you. Cry out to God. He will listen.
And when the Bible says, “He heard their cries,” it’s always followed with action. God doesn’t turn a deaf ear to your cries. He always answers. The captain’s words, though spoken out of desperation, are a call to action for Jonah. They serve as a reminder that no matter how far we have strayed, God is always ready to listen when you turn back to Him. Similar to the prodigal son, and we know the Father welcomed the prodigal son back home with joy, Tim Keller in his book on Jonah titles it, “The Prodigal Prophet.” We are all prodigals, and God will welcome each one of us home, if only we call out and return.
This is the grace of God on full display. Despite Jonah’s disobedience, God remains ready to hear his prayer. The storm, the captain’s plea, and Jonah’s eventual prayer all point to the reality that God is never far from those who seek Him, even when they have been running in the opposite direction.
God’s readiness to hear our prayers is a reflection of His character—He is a God of mercy and grace, always willing to forgive and restore those who call on His name. But this requires action on our part. We must be willing to humble ourselves, to admit our need for God’s intervention, and to trust that He will respond in His perfect timing.
No matter the storm, no matter how far you have strayed, God is always ready to hear you when you call out to Him. Will you call out to Him right now? Will you surrender to Him?
