Jonah 2:1. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly.
Oh friends, we’ve finally reached the day we truly desire; that’s our lazy-day Saturday when we can do exactly as we choose, with no bosses or other restraints holding us in check. When we can get up and be productive or just laze around, rest, and be unproductive. Sorry, resting is not being unproductive; it’s a form of revitalizing our souls, bodies and spirits that the Lord deemed necessary when He created us. (smile) So let’s enjoy our freedom day.
But first, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, in all sincerity and truth. ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’
And if we were truly sincere in seeking greater intimacy with our heavenly Father, then He will soon accept our plea and wrap us deeper and more tenderly in His LOVING arms. That’s the beauty of going to God with a sincere heartfelt plea; He usually responds in a positive manner. Anyway, since God was gracious enough to grant us breath this morning, let’s continue with the story of Jonah.
Now, yesterday we stopped when they threw Jonah out of the boat so the sea could be calm. At that point, the Bible tells us: ‘Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.’ (Jon. 2:1) Oh mih people, even in the depths of the sea, Jonah could not escape from God. and it’s the same way with us, whenever we try to escape His attention. He will always find us wherever we are.
So, again, it’s futile to try to escape God. Hopefully though, when the Lord finally has us betwixt a rock and a hard place, that we’re wise enough to cry out in repentance like Jonah, as the Bible continues: ‘Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly. And said, I cried by reason of (because of) my affliction unto the Lord, and he heard (answered) me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.’ (Jon. 2:1-2)
Yuh see friends, even in the depths of hell, which it must have been in the fish’s belly, the Lord heard Jonah’s cry, because then it was sincere and heartfelt. And the Lord will be the same with us, when we wake up from our foolish disobedience and confess our sins. Listen to Jonah do just that, in poetic form, no less. ‘For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst (heart) of the seas; and the floods compassed me about (surrounded me): all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet will I look again toward thy holy temple.’ (Jon. 2:3-4)
That’s how we ought to be; whatever our wrongdoing, and however fearful we might be, we should always seek the Lord again, because despite our obstinacy and disobedience, He will NEVER turn us away when we sincerely turn back to Him. Thus Jonah expounds: (smile) ‘The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth (deep) closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms (foundations, bases) of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me (closed behind me) for ever: yet thou hast brought up my life from corruption (from the pit),
O Lord my God. When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came unto (went up to) thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities (worthless idols) forsake their own mercy (LOVING-KINDNESS). But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.’ (Jon. 2:5-9)
Yes friends, Jonah could certainly wax poetic, but he should have thought about all those things before trying to run from God. Disobeying God is one thing, but trying to run from Him is something entirely different, most foolish, since it’s an impossible task. But our God is such a great and forgiving God, that after hearing Jonah’s plea, the Bible says: ‘And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.’ (Jon. 2:10)
Now, although the Lord showed Jonah mercy, He wasn’t finished with him, for the Bible goes on to say: ‘And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching (message) that I bid (tell) thee.’ (Jon. 3:1-2) I have to chuckle here friends, for if Jonah thought He was getting a pass free from jail, he was sadly mistaken. For the Lord came back to him with the original request. And it’s the same way He does with us. He seldom let’s us out of the tasks that He’s originally given us. He’s usually on our case until we do His bidding.
And Jonah did learn His lesson, for after the second command, the Bible says: ‘So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.’ (Jon. 3:3) But Jonah’s hatred of the Assyrians in Nineveh was so great, that even when he preached to them and they repented, and the Lord saved the city, he was still angry.
The Bible says: ‘But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying (what I said), when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before (previously) unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil (one who relents from doing harm). Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry (is it right to be angry)?’ (Jon. 4:1-4)
Imagine that nuh, Jonah wishing death because the Lord pardoned the citizens of Nineveh who repented of their evil ways. As the scholars say: ‘Jonah still maintains a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-Jews, especially Assyrians.’ Let’s hope that we don’t hold such foolish sentiments, but are glad to see the Lord forgive anyone who repents, despite their colour, creed or race, for that’s true godliness. And hopefully as we ponder Jonah’s story on this lazy-day Saturday, we’ll learn a few useful lessons from it. Much LOVE!
…getting angry because God does good to others…is a form of ungodliness…
Visit the Scrip-Bit Blog at https://randyobrien50.com
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
SCRIP-BITS 