Jonah 1:13

Jonah 1:13 says, Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.  Even though Jonah had brought the trouble to them, they were trying very hard to save him.  Jonah still had not agreed to do what God had called him to do.  He was willing to die running from God before going to Nineveh.  We need to pray that we never become so full of hatred that we would rather die than to witness to certain people.  Jonah, one of God's people, would die rather than witness, while those of the world, the sailors, were still risking their own lives to rescue him.  That is a sad situation, and it cannot be successful spiritually.  Lost people today may think they have a way to save others spiritually, but no matter how hard they try, they will never be successful.  If we, the followers of Christ, do not reach the lost of the world with His message, it is not going to happen.  We need to ensure that we reach out to everyone with God's love, or like Jonah, if we are running from God, we will start to be dependent on the world and put them in danger.  If we do not reach them with the only way to salvation, which is through Christ, then we definitely put them in spiritual danger.  I believe had Jonah simply accepted God's call at this point the ship could have gotten him safely ashore.  Verse fourteen says, Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.  The sailors called out to God.  They may still have not claimed Him as their God, though it seems they likely did, but they recognized Him as the One Who could save them.  They didn't demand but pleaded with Him for Jonah's sake and that they not be held accountable for his death.  When the lost people of the world start to be more concerned for our wellbeing than we are for theirs, then there is something wrong with our obedience to God.  We are to reach the lost and not look for their destruction, even if they hate us.  We are called to God's standard and not the world's standard.