Jonah 1:4 God Intervenes

4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

God let Jonah get all the way to Joppa, pay the fare, and be out to sea before He finally began to intervene.  That gave Jonah ample time to consider his ways and what he was doing.  That was a merciful thing to do.  And kind of surprising. 

Surely God could have intervened much earlier.  He could have appeared in a storm cloud and questioned Jonah like he did with Job.  He could have appeared as a blinding light to redirect Jonah like he did with Paul.  Or He could have used a combination of an angel and talking donkey to get the attention of Jonah like he did with Balaam.  Instead, He let Jonah get out to sea and then He sent the great wind. 

It was actually a really great move by God when you think about it.  Jonah got himself stuck in a place he couldn't possibly run away from God's will.  The storm had made it impossible to go ashore which left Jonah stranded on the boat with nowhere to hide.  He would have to deal with God in some manner or another.  So as the storm ravaged the boat, God was providing Jonah with one more very clear opportunity to respond.

So what has God been sending into your life to get your attention?  Are you willing to respond to it and trust in God's mercy, redirection, and provision again?