Scripture tells us that Jonah was trapped for three days and three nights. That’s 72 hours of being pickled alive in digestive juices without, food, water, or fresh air. There were no guarantees of what was to come. No certainties that he’d survive. There was just one sure thing—the calling to Nineveh.

Jonah was a man in trouble. God called him to minister to the people of Nineveh. It was a big mission field, with an estimated population that may have reached a million inhabitants at its peak. Not only was it a big city, it was full of pagan worship. So, when God called Jonah to Nineveh, he did what many of us would do—he ran. Jonah boarded a boat, heading in the opposite direction, hoping to escape God’s call. It didn’t work. A great storm came; even the veteran sailors were gripped with terror. They tried everything to keep the ship afloat, but nothing worked until Jonah proposed a solution.

Jonah 1:12 says, “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.”

Finally, Jonah relinquished his will for God’s plan. From the moment Jonah submitted to his call and fear fled, his ministry began. When the sailors released Jonah into the dark waters, the storm subsided.

What I love about the story of Jonah is the grace God demonstrates. From the moment Jonah yields his willful, disobedient heart to the Lord, his life became a testimony of God’s faithfulness. There were no “I told you so’s” . . . no lectures, etc. From the moment Jonah put the lives of his fellow sailors above his own, and told them to throw him from the boat, he was transformed. His very survival became a living testimony of God’s provision. Scripture says that even the sailors who threw him from the ship worshiped God when they witnessed His power.

Jonah didn’t have it all together. He certainly wasn’t perfect, but God used his life. It wasn’t about Jonah’s abilities; in fact, God transformed the ashes of his disobedience into an effective testimony. All Jonah had to do was surrender and willingly serve.

Have you felt a call to a ministry that you are less than enthusiastic about? Is it too big? Too far? Too dangerous?

Have you resisted the prompting that asks you to do more than you ever dreamed?

Perhaps you have actively avoided God’s will—and you feel as if you are in a dark place of your own design, the proverbial whale’s belly.

Take heart! It’s not too late. You can still fulfill the calling God has placed upon your life. God is present. He heard Jonah’s cry, and He hears yours. Follow Him. Take a step of faith, and find hope in the direction of His calling. His glory will be evident despite your shortcomings. You can begin again today . . .

It’s never too late to change course. God hears you. He cares for your needs. He listens.