FROM FAILURE TO FRUITFUL – GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR FUTURE IS FAR BIGGER THAN YOUR FAILURE

At some point you’ve probably heard Newton’s law of motion: an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

While this applies to the physical world, it also has a deep spiritual application. When we’re running from God, headed in the wrong direction spiritually, sometimes it takes a robust God-balanced force to stop us in our tracks.

Jonah knew all too well about this spiritual law of motion because God sent a violent storm to stop his action of running. His story is often related to disobedience, and it most certainly is, but perhaps the most significant story told here is the story of redemption. Restoration for the heartless prophet, salvation for the helpless sailors, redemption for the sinful city, and resolution for you and me.

God Provides A Way Out

But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah 1:17

While God sent the storm that threatened the lives of Jonah and the sailors, we see in Jonah 1:17 that He also provided a way out. Two things had to happen first though. In verse 12 Jonah said, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea and it will be calm. I know this is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Jonah immediately knew why the storm raged on and how to change it. As soon as he confessed his sin and accepted the consequences, “the Lord provided” the way out. We serve a faithful God who not only forgives us but purifies us when we confess our sins. God’s ultimate purpose for sending the storm wasn’t to destroy Jonah but to restore him.

• If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
• I acknowledged my sin to You, my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”; You forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5

God Of Second Chances

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time. Jonah 3:1

Have you ever wondered why it took sinking to the bottom of a great fish for Jonah to cry out to God? While I’d like to believe I would have immediately cried out instead of saying “throw me overboard,” there have been times I’ve looked consequences right in the face and continued in motion at the same speed, in the same direction. I’ve sat on the throne trying to control it, superficially creating my own second chance. Rather than confessing to God we often try to make our way out, leading us further from God and deeper into consequences. Once Jonah asked for forgiveness, grace flooded the fish’s belly and washed away the gap between God and Jonah. By seeking forgiveness and surrendering our plan to Him, we bridge the gap sin creates between God and us. We’re aligned with the Father’s heart and in a receiving position for our second chance.

• Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19

God Uses Our Failures

At this, the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Jonah 1:16

With God, not a moment of life is wasted. He knows that we’ve all fallen short of His glory and yet He continues to choose us. Even when we disobey and fall flat on our face, God can use it to reach others. Jonah’s failure as a running prophet led to the salvation of the terrified sailors. They looked to Jonah for answers to the storm, but they ended up finding the Savior who silences the storms. For Jonah, what started off as a failed attempt to run ended up being the greatest ministry route. Trust that the Divine Author is writing and perfecting your faith, even rewriting your failure into fruit. God’s purpose for your future is far bigger than your failure.

• The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” Jonah 1:11
• Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

God delights in a truly repentant heart. With a contrite heart, He can take your failure and make it flourish. He can use it to restore you to a greater understanding of who He is and how much the Father loves you so He can use you in ways you never thought were possible; ways that bring restoration to your soul and a story of redemption for others.

Pressing In

1. In looking back, do you see a time when God sent a strong unbalanced force to intercept your path? What was the outcome?
2. Do you currently need a “But the Lord provided”?
3. Is there an area you’re trying to create a way out rather than relying on Him for the way out?
4. Are you searching for answers to the storm rather than the One who silences the storms?
5. Have you watched God transform your mess into a message? Share with someone who might need the assurance.