Read Jonah Chapter 2
It Starts With Prayer.
It’s amazing how much we neglect the Lord when we are consumed with a life of selfishness and self-indulgence. Jonah fled from the Lord, later was thrown into the sea, left to die, only to be swallowed by a large fish sent from the Lord.
I’m trying to imagine Jonah’s thought processes through all that happened.
– “Go to Nineveh? No way! I’m getting out of here.”
– “I know what God said but I’m doing my own thing. I’m going to flee on a ship away from God.”
– “Oh no, a horrific storm will kill everyone on the ship! Throw me over so the rest of you may live.”
– ” I’m drowning! I’m going to die!”
– “Hey! A large fish just swallowed me and saved my life from drowning.”
– Wait!!! I’m in the belly of a fish! I’m going to die here! What can I do?”
Verse 1 says: ” Then Jonah Prayed to the Lord.” Chapter 2 is Jonah’s prayer.
– I called out… He answered me.
– I cried for help… He heard my voice.
God cast me into the depths of the sea… I look to the Lord… He saved me.
The last verse says,
“Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on to dry land.”
There seems to be three stages in life that occur when we live in disobedience to God:
1. Our hearts turned from the Lord in disobedience.
2. Got attempts to capture our attention, sometimes through a form of disaster in hopes of us repenting of our sin and returning to the Lord.
3. If we choose to return to the Lord, It Starts With Prayer.
What are you going through? Are you focused daily on the Lord? Are you struggling with your faith? Are you in the stage of disobedience, or the stage of God capturing your attention? A reminder: God is always one prayer away. He will hear you and respond to you. Pour your heart out to the Lord, and in due time, He will save you.
