- For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your breakers and your waves passed over me. Jonah 2:3 – Our chapter describes the unique conversation between Jonah and the Lord. Not unique due to the words said, but the due to the unique circumstances Jonah had found himself in for he was within the belly of the fish during this whole chapter. We see eventually Jonah see the error of his ways and repents to the Lord there in the depths of the waters. What is special though are the words we see from Jonah are signs he was intimately familiar with the words of the Lord. See our verse above, and now see the similarities it has Psalm 42:7 – Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. And verse 2 and Psalm 18:6 – In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. Also verse 4 and Psalm 31:22 – I had said in my alarm, “I am cut off from your sight.” But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help. In Jonah’s darkest hour he had the word of the Lord to lean on, but it wasn’t because he had God’s words on his iPhone there in the belly of the fish to read. It was because he had hidden God’s word in his heart. Jonah took the time to learn God’s word and the result was when he was in his darkest season, with no access to God’s word, it was still present in his story. Find yourself leaning always into God’s word so when the darkness makes it impossible to see His word, you still have it to guide you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3300
- Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish. (v.1) Your S.O.S. will always be heard. It’s scary how easy it can be for us to be distracted by the enemy into thinking that God can’t hear or won’t listen to our cries for help. That we can actually find ourselves in so deep that the water over our heads is actually blotting out our cries for help and salvation. Here in Jonah though we see exactly the opposite. Depth doesn’t matter. Distance away isn’t enough. The water over our heads may be able to swallow us up, but it’s not able to keep God from hearing our cries for rescue. My message for you today is not to be deceived into thinking your S.O.S. of recuse from your current struggle in life can ever be blotted out by your past or dismissed by God because of your current standing. If you are truly crying out to God for rescue and healing, seeking His love and forgiveness, God will always be available to you in those times. No amount of depth you’ve gotten yourself into will separate you from the love the Father has for you. God though will allow us to step away and be swallowed up and taken to a place we never wanted to go if that’s the direction we desire. Even so, when we come to our senses, and see we need rescue, know God hears and God helps. – Daily DEVO 56
- Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish… Jonah 2:1 – You may think sometimes that you’ve gotten yourself in a place that’s too dark and too far down for God to hear you and listen. What we must remember is that none of us have been as far as Jonah got. Not only going in the opposite direction of what God said to do, but literally swallowed up by a fish and deep in the waters. You can’t get much worse than that. Yet even there we see God heard Jonah and answered Him. You need to know that no matter how far you get away from where God wants you that you can always call out to Him and know He will hear you. For Jonah, God was with him in the belly of the fish and for you God will always be with you wherever you find yourself. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 659
- Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord! Jonah 2:8-9 – Note this prayer to the Lord wasn’t happening on some pretty hillside with a sunset in the background, this was happening inside the belly of the fish. Here Jonah finally responds to God. He looks back at the last few days of his life and the choices he has made. While the idol he was following wasn’t a golden statue, it was the idol of self and his selfish desires. Just like following any idol, Jonah choose to reach out for something different than the constant love of God and felt the repercussions of such as choice. Yet we see our God is a God of second chances and accepts the turning back of Jonah. Yes, Jonah ran away, forsaking the Lord, but the Lord never left him and kept His path open for Jonah to follow if Jonah would only turn back. Maybe you’ve been the one who paid regard or gave yourself wholly over even to something other than God. Know the path is still open for you to turn around and follow Jesus. If someone stuck in the middle of a fish has the option of repentance, you can as well. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2090
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