Jonah 2

Scripture Reading:  Read Jonah Chapter 2. 

Digestive Realities:

Jonah 2:9-10 –But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.  What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. (NIV)

As a parent, I’ve cleaned up more vomit than I ever thought I would.  It’s interesting how the Gerber Baby commercials portray babies as the cutest things, but they often skip the messy parts. Jonah likewise became accustomed to vomit, although admittedly in a much different way.  He was vomited up on shore after his time of prayer inside the fish.     

While there are many unanswered questions about how this event transpired, the key elements to focus on are Jonah's unwavering faith and God’s grace.  As Jonah grapples with the digestive realities inside the whale, he fervently prays to God in faith for deliverance. This is a powerful reminder that sometimes, it takes extreme circumstances to turn to the Lord in faith! 

But it’s also critical that we see God’s grace for Jonah throughout his journey as a wayward prophet. God saves Jonah by sending a fish to swallow him up and change his course. Likewise, the Lord often providentially orchestrates our circumstances to redirect our paths. Praise the Lord for His providence! 

Prayer:  Lord, help me trust in your good path for my life and help me walk in obedience.  Thank you for directing my path in your great mercy and providence.