Today’s Reading: Jonah 2; Proverbs 28
Jonah 1:17: And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Wow! Have you ever wondered why something has happened to you? How are you ever going to get out of a predicament? Being swallowed by a great fish, is some kind of predicament! Jonah realized he needed to rely back on the Lord. He was in trouble, even under sin and in God’s displeasure, he still prayed. Jonah 2:1-2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying “I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried and you heard my voice.”
There are many times within a day, lets be real I’m a mom of a 7 year old and 3 year old boys, a junior high teacher and living in this crazy society. There are definitely many times within a day I need to pause and PRAY! I am not perfect, I am trying to live out a life the best I can to be like Jesus, but it is far from perfect. Take a moment to pause…PRAY and even bring out pain, suffering, or struggles by our sins. God knows our sins and imperfections. The Lord will welcome us to the throne of grace, just like He did with Jonah. It is not easy, we live in the picture-perfect world through social media. No one wants to admit their imperfections. It is so easy to get caught up in a world that does not live like Jesus did. Whether it is your workplace, family, or friends; how are you going to show others the love and grace that Jesus has shown us? Stop and pray for the mom at the store whose screaming child is throwing a huge fit or a friend who is struggling with a relationship. No matter the struggle big or small, God is here for us we just need to take the time to pray. What better way to show Jesus’ love then the power of prayer. Don’t just say “I’ll pray for you” actually pause and do it! At the end of the day, Jesus is the judge of us all.
Jonah shows us that no matter where you are, even at the bottom of the ocean in the stomach of a fish, we can too pray because God is always with us. He walks with us and alongside us in the crazy place we call life. Pause, take a moment to PRAY, and most of all thank God for all He does for us. He is a miracle worker and we are so undeserved of everything He has done for us. Praise be to God! Jonah 2:10: And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land. Miracle worker? I believe so! Pray and trust in God!
Jennifer LaFrance