Jonah and the Big Fish

Scripture: Jonah 1:17-2:3 (NIV)

¹⁷ Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2 From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ² He said:

“In my distress, I called to the Lord,

and he answered me.

From deep in the realm of the dead, I called for help,

and you listened to my cry.

³ You hurled me into the depths,

into the very heart of the seas,

and the currents swirled about me;

all your waves and breakers

swept over me.

Devotion:

The story of Jonah is well-known to many of us. We know how he tried to run away from God's call to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, how he boarded a ship that was caught in a storm, how he was thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish, and how he finally obeyed God and delivered his message. But do we ever stop to think about what Jonah felt and learned in the belly of the fish?

The Bible tells us that Jonah prayed to God from inside the fish, revealing a lot about his heart and faith. He begins by acknowledging his distress and cries out to God for help. He describes his situation as being in the depths of the grave, surrounded by water, weeds, and darkness. He feels like he has been banished from God's presence and cast away from his sight.

But Jonah does not give up hope. He remembers the Lord and turns his prayer toward his holy temple. He recognizes that those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. He declares that he will sacrifice to God with a song of thanksgiving and fulfill what he has vowed. He ends his prayer with a confident affirmation: "Salvation comes from the Lord."

Jonah's prayer teaches us important lessons about how to respond when facing trials and troubles in our lives. First, we should be honest with God about our feelings and our needs. God knows our hearts, and he cares about our struggles. He wants us to pour our souls into him and seek his help, knowing that in our honesty, we find freedom and comfort. Second, we should remember God's character and his promises. God is faithful and merciful and has a plan for our lives. He will never leave or forsake us and work all things for our good. Third, we should praise God and trust him for our salvation. God is worthy of our worship and obedience, and he alone can save us from our sins and sorrows. He has shown us his love by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us and rose again. He invites us to repent and believe in him, giving us his Spirit to guide and comfort us.

Prayer:

            Lord, we know that we should be in prayer contact with you 24/7, but we fail and seek you only when we are in distress. From Jonah’s example, let us learn that although you will hear and answer us no matter what trouble we find ourselves in, we should know better. Teach us to always reach out to you, praise you when things go well, seek your guidance when we are perplexed or confused, and save us when we are in trouble. Lord, let us always pray to you, especially when we find ourselves in serious trouble. Amen.