One time, at a crusade, the main speaker was about to give the call of salvation after the message and it began to pour down rain. The open-air stadium was full, and people began to leave at the most critical time of the evening. The evangelist, Bruce Van Natta, lead the people prayer to stop the rain. Then he called my wife to blow the shofar. As the shofar was blown a warm wind blew through the stadium and the rain stopped like someone said cut in a movie production. Wow! We all saw the power of God. This caused people to really take notice and many came to faith in Jesus that night.
In our story of Jonah, the sailors also saw the power of God. Jonah 1:15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him. [1]
The demonstration of God’s power in the life of the sailors and at the stadium was a demonstration of God’s grace. In God’s grace, the storm was calmed, and the sailors saw the power of God. Their prayers were answered. When the rain stopped at the stadium, the people saw the power of God and in God’s grace many people received Jesus as their Savior.
Grace is God’s undeserved love and each person who has been called to faith has received God’s grace as His power worked in them. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:8“For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.” [2]
Prayer: Thank you Lord for Your grace and power that has led me to be a person of faith. Heavenly Father help me to walk out my faith to be a difference maker in your Kingdom. Amen.
To hear more of the story of Jonah, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/the-call/the-call-jonah
[1,2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.