God’s GPS: Redirecting Jonah
Read: Jonah 4:24
Devotion: This summer, during your family travels, have you ever missed a turn while using your GPS? When that happens, the kind voice doesn’t judge or ridicule you. It simply says, “Recalculating…” and adjusts your route to get you back on track toward your destination.
That’s exactly what God did for Jonah.
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh. But Jonah didn’t like Nineveh—maybe he thought the people were rude, the place was boring, or even that it smelled bad. Whatever the reason, Jonah wanted nothing to do with it. So he got up early one morning and headed in the opposite direction, choosing his own path instead of following God’s command. And it landed him in big trouble.
First, God sent a storm. Then, Jonah ended up in the belly of a great fish for three whole days. It wasn’t punishment—it was redirection.
Just like a GPS, God didn’t give up on Jonah when he took a wrong turn. Instead, God patiently and persistently worked to guide Jonah back to the right path. Eventually, Jonah surrendered and went to Nineveh, where he fulfilled the purpose God had given him all along.
God still guides us today, just as in Jonah’s time. God creates spaces in our lives for transformation, growth, and second chances. We may try to chart our own course, but God lovingly recalculates, redirects, and calls us back to the right path.
All we have to do is listen—and follow the lead.
Wonder:
What do you think Jonah felt when he heard God’s call to go to Ninevah?
How do you think it feels to know that God never gives up on us, even when we choose to go a different direction than God had hoped for us?
Where might God take you if you said “yes” to where God was leading, even if it is somewhere unexpected?
Pray: God, May we listen when you show us the best way to go. And be gentle with us when we are still searching to find exactly where those places are. Amen
Act: Go for a 15 minutes walk as a family. As you come up to an intersection listen for God to let you know whether you should go straight or turn left or right. As you walk look for things that God is showing you. Search for things you wouldn’t have seen if you had followed another path.