This past week in my Chronological Bible reading, I hit the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah’s story is one of the most memorable of all the stories and perhaps because it seems so outlandish and extreme. A whole person stuck in a whale and comes out alive 3 days later?

But that’s not what I’m focusing on in this post.

In my reading, I came across something new like I sometimes do in reading things I’ve read before.

“And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?” “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.”

Jonah 1:11-17

Usually in reading Jonah, I (like most people, I assume) focus on Jonah and his story of obedience (or lack thereof).

This time I noticed that the sailors knew there was a connection between Jonah and God because they prayed. Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

Shortly after they throw Jonah overboard, just as he told them to do in order to calm the storm, they were awestruck at what happened. The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

I thought it was another testament to God’s amazing orchestration of His plans to bring His children to Himself. Even in the midst of Jonah’s disobedience in running away from his call, God’s command to go to Nineveh, these sailors who were innocent bystanders had a great encounter with our God! They were amazed and their hearts were vastly impacted so much so that they offered up sacrifices and made vows to serve and follow.

Jonah’s disobedience was used for good by God to bring these sailors to Him.

Obviously this isn’t a lesson or an endorsement for disobedience to draw others to Christ… but whether it’s us that goes astray or someone close to us, even in those times, God is usually all involved in a mighty way. We don’t see how our lives effect others, but they do in small incremental ways and sometimes large ways.

Has anyone impacted you this way and brought you closer to your God?