Asleep In A Storm

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

What a disappointing scene! A terrifying storm, souls in danger of  death, but Jonah, the man of God, fast asleep.

Sailors are not soon frightened in a storm, but this time the fury of  the gale was so great that “the ship was like to be broken” and even  the sailors were driven to their knees “and cried every man unto his  god” (Jonah 1:4,5).

Can it be that Jonah, the only man aboard who knew the true God, was  sleeping? Sleeping while souls were perishing? This was the shameful  truth, and not one of us would blame the terrified captain for rudely  awakening him and crying: “What meanest thou, O sleeper? Arise, call  upon thy God!” (Verse 6).

But let us not be too ready to condemn Jonah, for we may be more  guilty than he. Surely the world today is passing through a fearful  storm and souls all about us are in peril of their lives. If they do  not accept God’s way of salvation; if they do not trust in Christ,  they will perish. And what are we doing about it? Are we pleading for  them in prayer? Are we doing what we can to reach them for Christ? Or  are we fast asleep?

“What meanest thou O sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God!” And when you  have cried to God in behalf of your unsaved relatives, friends, and  business associates, He will send you to witness to them of Christ and  His love. Not until you have talked to God about them will you be  ready to talk to them about God.

Politically, morally, spiritually, the night is dark, the storm is  raging and souls are perishing, but “God, who commanded the light to  shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts” (IICor.4:6). “…We  are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as  do others” (IThess.5:5,6).