Just for some context --
Jonah was a prophet who the Lord called to bring a warning of repentance to Nineveh - which was a great city steeped in wickedness. Jonah hated Ninevah. And he knew the character of God. So he knew that if he brought a message of repentance to the people of Ninevah, they would repent and the Lord would forgive them. But he wanted the people of Ninevah to face judgement, so instead of going on the assignment of the Lord to call the wicked to repentance, Jonah ran away. So the scripture reading picks up after he has been thrown out of the boat and has been swallowed by the whale. He’d been in the belly of the whale for 3 days.
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish, and he said, “I called out of my distress to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice. For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me. So I said, ‘I have been expelled from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ Water encompassed me to the point of death. The great deep engulfed me, Weeds were wrapped around my head. I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God. While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. Those who regard vain idols Forsake their faithfulness, But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.” Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.”
I’m not sure who needs to hear this today, but I felt very strongly to bring this scripture. So if you have been instructed by the Lord on an assignment that you are afraid of or not wanting to do - take this as your sign to move in obedience to Him. And if you have already run from the Lord’s assignment, and you are in some kind of mess, take this as your sign to turn back to Him. Repent for your rebellion and ask Him to rescue you. When He does, move forward in obedience, because He has work for you to do.
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