Bible Passage: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Jonah 1:1-16
Have you ever felt you were too messed up and God could never use you to help others find Him?
Jonah is an interesting story, and many of us know it well, but there is an important detail that is often overlooked.
When Jonah fled to Joppa, he saw an escape. But he didn’t see what God saw—men who He wanted to know Him
And how did God introduce Himself?
With Jonah’s broken testimony.
As the storm raged, the sailors determined that Jonah’s disobedience was responsible. Then, after Jonah shared his story, the men did something odd. Rather than trying to immediately save their own lives by tossing him overboard, they attempted to save Jonah’s life by “trying to row back to land” (Jonah 1:13 NIV).
It seems that those men had some good in them. But what happened next began to grip them, as their efforts made no difference and the sea grew wilder.
When they finally conceded that they could do nothing, they prayed. And not just any little prayer. They prayed to Yahweh, Jonah’s God, the God of the Hebrews.
And what did they pray for?
God’s mercy.
“Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.” (Jonah 1:14 NIV).
In the chaos of the storm, God was using Jonah’s broken testimony to connect with these men.
But it doesn’t end there.
After the sailors tossed Jonah into the sea, they saw the impossible as they witnessed the power of the God “who made the sea,” as the waters immediately became calm (Jonah 1:9 NIV).
And how did they respond?
They “greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him” (Jonah 1:16 NIV).
Here’s the truth:
We are all living in storms. Whether you have Jesus or not, to be human is to struggle.
And even though we are Christian men, we still make mistakes and sin.
But God’s grace is bigger, and He will still work through our broken testimonies to speak to those He calls.
So, the next time you doubt what God can do through you, remember Jonah and know that your broken testimony may be just what He uses to introduce Himself to someone and calm their storm.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You that through Your grace, You can use my broken story to help others find You. Please do this in my life. Amen.
Reflection: What makes you think your story is one Jesus couldn’t use? Bring those things to Jesus and let His grace calm your own storm.
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