The line snaked out the door at one of our local supermarkets. Some big grocery sale? Not quite. It was for the ‘Imagination Lottery Machine’ of our state’s gambling association. All lucky winners, I’m sure! Me? I’ve never, ever bought a lottery ticket.

The only lottery I’ve won was one I was forced into. Against my will. Pushed and shoved to take a chance. In the late ’60s (1960s that is, wise guy; and no, not the 1860s!), the federal government instituted a lottery system for the military draft. Ugh! Uh oh! I’ve got a 1 in 365 chance of winning based on my birthday. Pretty good odds, or so I figure.

How’d I do? As I looked down the list of birthdays, I didn’t find mine. I’ve won! Off the chart? An oversight? Hardly. Fat chance of that. So, I go back over the register and discover that the first few birthdays are fully printed out with lots of flowery words to soften the blow for those who’ve won. The first and second picks would be the first and second ones to go off to war. My birthdate? Number two. Oh no. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I’ve won. Or lost. It all depends.

Jonah wins his lottery, too. For he’s the one who’s causing all kinds of trouble for the ship he’s on and for those sailors, all in grave danger of losing their lives in tumultuous seas. As they draw lots, good old Jonah wins. Picks the short straw. All eyes are glued on him. The culprit. This runaway prophet of the Lord wishes he could go back to sleep, hoping beyond hope that all this is but a bad dream. Sorry, Charlie! It isn’t.

In Jonah’s case, he’s turned his back on the call of the Lord. Told to go here, he heads off there. What does God want? Well, He can just take a heavenly hike. Get someone else, while you’re at it. I’m out of here on the first boat to anywhere else. And he succeeds. Sort of. Until.

Well, you probably know the rest of Jonah’s story. If not, it’s only four chapters. Can cover it in less than an hour. Go for it. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord will bring to mind something He’d like you to do for Him that you’ve been putting off. An idea pops into your craw? A nagging thought or two? Your conscience tugs more His way for a change?

Ask for God’s help while being determined to follow through and obey His instructions. Not like Jonah, hightailing it out of Joppa. But there’s more to his story…

Lord Jesus, I want to serve you. Help me to do just that. For your sake. Amen.