* Each week I will be posting a scripture passage from my quiet time, along with my random, but profound thoughts on the passage. RAPTs. Enjoy!
Scripture passage: Jonah 2
I find it interesting how I can read the Bible one time and see something or assume something happened a certain way, but the next time I see things differently. This chapter is a great example of some assumptions I had. I always thought that Jonah was thrown off the ship and God had this big old fish ready and waiting with his mouth wide open. I also assumed that God pre-programmed an alarm clock in the belly of the fish to automatically vomit Jonah onto dry land after 3 days and 3 nights. I was totally wrong; there was no ready and waiting fish and there was no alarm clock. According to this chapter Jonah had to cry out to the Lord before the Lord intervened on either occasion.
After reading this I am reminded of five key principles:
- Sometimes I have to spend some time in the belly of the fish/the pit before I come to my senses.
- The only way out of the pit is through Jesus.
- God doesn’t just put on his Rescue Ranger® outfit and come to my rescue. I have to be ready and ask for help.
- No matter where I am, I will never be too far for God to reach me.
- When Jonah was vomited onto dry land, he had not seen the light of day for 3 days and 3 nights. He didn’t have time to pack a peanut butter and jelly sandwich before he was thrown over, and he didn’t shower. When I come out of the belly of the fish/the pit, I will be starving, blinded, and smelling to high heaven.