Jonah 1: Your Number is Up!
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Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this terrible storm.”
They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.
“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
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We've been looking at spooky Bible stories this week.
This is a story of divination.
The ship was in a storm and in danger of sinking.
The sailors threw dice to decide who was to blame.
In times of crisis the human animal looks for someone at fault.
Rolling the dice was not a very scientific way to determine the source of the storm.
But nobody argued that point--not even Jonah.
Today we don't need to cast lots to determine blame.
We've got political ads telling us the OTHER party is at fault.
We've got 24/7 news outlets doing the same thing.
Somehow it makes us feel better to know who to blame.
And when you get right down to it, rolling dice, drawing straws, or reading tea leaves, might all be more accurate than turning on the television.
But rolling the dice is not usually a good way to find the will of God, and finding blame doesn't calm the storm.
Maybe it's the wrong question.
If you ask, "Who is going to calm our storms?"
you get a different answer: it's Jesus.
In the storms you face today, don't ask the bones who to blame.
Trust the One who can calm the storm.
No matter whose number comes up, the answer is still Jesus.
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Put your hand in the hand of the who stilled the waters
Put your hand in the hand of the one who calmed the seas.