WHO’S IN YOUR BOAT?

• DAY 257
• FAITH FILE: JONAH 1
• SCRIPTURES: JONAH 1:5-7, 10

Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

JONAH 1:5-7, 10

Sometimes we underestimate how our choices can affect others and how theirs can affect ours. If we make the decision of whom we go on life’s journey with too lightly we might encounter losses. Job was on his ill-advised run from God and to get to where he was going he got on a ship with a couple of mariners. He knew why he was there and like any good hider he went to the lowest part of the ship to hide. This simple decision endangered every single person that was on that ship.

These men had no idea what was going on in Jonah’s life. They were not on the run or rebelling against God. They were innocent bystanders who got caught in a mess because they let a rebellious man on their voyage. Because of this man in their ship, they lost cargo, suffered damage to their ship, and almost lost their lives.

Check Your Passengers

It matters who you hitch a ride with. Jesus in the boat with the disciples meant that the storm they faced was silenced, Paul on the ship with military men meant that everyone on that boat didn’t lose their lives but Jonah on this ship was a recipe for disaster. If we’re not intentional about who comes along with using life, even for a temporary moment, we may suffer loss. Every time you feel “off” about someone, check with the Holy Spirit before you proceed.

The interesting thing is when people are living their lives in disobedience to God, they might not even feel the impact of the disruption they caused. We read that while the ship was being tossed and turned by the wind God sent to get Jonah’s attention, he was sleeping. Everybody in that ship was afraid for their lives, they were concerned about the outcome of that situation and the guy that was at fault and responsible for it was at rest and sleeping. Isn’t that amazing? That people will come into your life and rock it and mess it up and they will be calm. And if you are the one rebelling, ensure that you don’t drag others down with you. Your decisions will impact on those around you whether you intend to or not.

Shalom.