Jonah 1:17 (NKJV) 17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
It’s important to take notice that the Lord prepared this great fish that would swallow Jonah, hold him in his belly and spit him out when Jonah’s heart got right.
It wasn’t the doing of Jonah’s enemy, or anyone else for that matter. This was God’s doing.
God asked Jonah to bring a message to Nineveh. But instead, Jonah ran away. He got on a boat to go somewhere other than Nineveh.
Now, you might think, “well, that’s Jonah’s choice. Let him go”.
But God knew Jonah’s heart. And Jonah’s actions proved what God already knew. He was on the run!
The boat that Jonah was on began to face some terrible weather conditions.
The men on board prayed and prayed to their gods. But then they realized when it didn’t cease that there was something else going on. And they knew that Jonah was the cause of it all. They knew he needed to pray to his God
They found Jonah and asked him if he knew anything about this. Jonah told them it was because of him. He was the reason for the weather disturbances.
And he urged them men to just toss him overboard. So, they did!
And The great fish that God prepared was right there to swallow him up. And he was in its belly for 3 days.
God will often respond to disobedience in ways we may not like. And this can cause us much fear and discomfort.
Just as Jonah did after being 3 days in the belly of this big fish, we will likely have a change of heart when facing the consequences of our choices.
What is going on in our personal lives today?
Maybe it’s not our enemy that’s causing our discomfort or the things that are taking place. Is it God saying, “hey, I asked you to do something and I’m not letting you run from it this time.”?
We have to be willing to obey God in everything He asks us to do, not just in the things that come easy for us or the things we enjoy doing.
Most times we don’t get to pick and choose. And if we’re not careful, God just might send us a “great Jonah fish” and cause us to stop and get things right. Amen.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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