Jonah And The WhaleJonah 1:17 – 2:10 And Jehovah had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. And Jonah prayed to Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly, and he said, I cried to Jehovah from my distress. And He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried for help, and You heard my voice. For You cast me into the depths of the seas, and the current surrounded me. All Your breakers and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast off from Your eyes, yet I will look again toward Your holy temple. Waters encompassed me, even to the soul; the depth closed around me; the seaweed was bound to my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was around me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Jehovah my God. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Jehovah; and my prayer came in to You, into Your holy temple. They who take heed to lying vanities forsake their kindness; but I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will fulfill that which I have vowed. Salvation belongs to Jehovah! And Jehovah spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land. I remember my grandmother telling us the story of Jonah and the whale. She told us the whole bit about how Jonah ran the other way from God and then the men on the ship threw him overboard when the storm came up. And how after spending 3 days and nights in the belly of the whale he did go and preach repentance where God commanded. But then he was angry with God because He did not destroy the people of Nineveh when they repented. Then when Jonah went outside the city and asked God to take his life, God gave him a plant for shade instead. But the next day when God sent a worm to eat the plant and kill it, Jonah was sorry that the plant died. God ask Jonah, should He not likewise feel sorry for the people who repented in Nineveh and spare their lives. Have we, like Jonah, ever turned our back on what God has called us to do? I am pretty sure that each one of us would have to answer Yes to that question. It could be something as simple as a one time visit to a shut-in or maybe teaching a Sunday School class or even to do missionary work. Does God need to send us on a cruise and have us thrown overboard so a whale can swallow us? No, but He does have mercy on us and gives us many second chances just as He did with Jonah and the people of Nineveh. We should take advantage of His mercy and do as He commands us. Father, We humbly thank You for the examples of life and Your will that You have given us in Your Word. Please give us the strength and courage to do as You command and for the many second chances which You have given us. In Jesus’ name. Amen
|
