October 8, Jonah 2
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, saying, "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice." - Jonah 2:1-2
She's reeling from the unexpected and terrifying diagnosis. He's a veteran traveler who's flown hundreds of times, but he's never been as scared as he is on this rough flight in severe weather. And they both, sensing the danger of their situation and a heightened awareness of their helplessness, cry out to God in prayer.
The runaway prophet who sought to escape the presence of the Lord was now desperate for God to see, hear and rescue him from his distress. After his traveling companions threw him overboard into the stormy sea, Jonah thought he was going to die as he sank down into the dark depths. Maybe he was even more terrified than in the moment the great fish swallowed him in a single gulp. Jonah would have surely died in the deep, but the fish turned out to be an instrument of his salvation. God saved Noah and his family from the flood in a boat. But he saved Jonah by a submarine in the form of a great fish.
Jonah's prayer from the fish's belly in Chapter 2 teaches us some valuable principles about God and ourselves. Jonah's dire circumstances remind us that adversity is rich soil for producing the fruit of fervent prayer. Difficulties force us to acknowledge we can't do everything on our own. Troubles prompt us to turn to Almighty God as we face our limitations. When hard times turn our hearts and eyes to God, they are blessings in disguise. As David put it, "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes." If, like the prodigal son, we come to ourselves and turn our faces and feet toward home when we hit bottom, then the troubles we encounter are blessings indeed.
Let's remember that not all prayers come from serene settings. Lydia and her friends gathered by the river in a place conducive to prayer, but Jonah did some fine praying deep under the sea inside a big fish. We should not wait until the setting is ideal and we feel calm to say our prayers.
Jonah's prayer is steeped in allusions to the Psalms. Our deep thoughts that will come to the surface when we word our prayers should reflect the influence of God's word on our hearts. Jonah and others teach us a rich vocabulary for talking to God that comes only from familiarity with what God has said to us in his word. Jonah gave God thanks for his deliverance, and renewed his commitment to be faithful to the Lord. How grateful we should be when we realize that we were dead out in the world, but we are gloriously alive in Christ! When we truly appreciate what the Lord has done for us, we will be delighted to renew our commitment to do his will.
Jonah recognized God's hand had both cast him into the sea and brought him up out of it. From the fish's belly, Jonah recognized that he would have died in the water, but God saved him by means of the great fish. His prayer ended with an exclamation that either contains his name or is very similar to it when Jonah said, "Salvation belongs to the LORD!" Our pride as well as our fear should evaporate when we truly understand that our salvation is not by our works of righteousness, but according to his mercy.
There's much more to the book of Jonah than an incredible fish story. There are rich blessings here for you and me if we will read and meditate on this prophet's encounter with God.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—October 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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