the story of jonah and the fish is one of my favorites because there is so much wisdom to be learned from what happened out there on the raging sea. i often think about that story when i hear God speaking to me, urging me to go one way, and everything in me wants to run in the opposite direction. or when the proverbial wind seems wild and the waves are violent. or when i just wish someone would throw me overboard. jonah's story is about obedience, provision, salvation, repentance, and redemption. jonah's story is our story, time after time.
i think of jonah, what happened to him and what he did. 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of a "huge fish" after disobeying God is a serious time out. the story doesn't say jonah sat in there pouting. he didn't cry "why me?" or stand his ground or defiantly dig in his heels. in the belly of a huge fish, he prayed.
i think about God, who He is and what He does. the story tells us that God sent the storm to sea, making the waves crash and threaten the ship to break. as soon as the sailors threw jonah overboard, God calmed the storm and appointed a huge fish to swallow him. from inside the belly of a huge fish, God heard jonah's prayer.
God will ask me to go somewhere, and when i go the opposite direction, a storm will roll in. there will be chaos and guilt and confusion and i will want to jump ship. God will send a fish, and if i pray - if i cry out to the Lord in my great trouble - He will answer me.
