You’ve had moments when you just had to be there. They were indescribable. It may have been when your child was born or they day you got married or the day you retired. We’ve all had those days when it was difficult to put into words how we were feeling. That’s Jonah 2. Jonah has been thrown overboard during a massive storm at sea and now finds himself in the belly of a large fish that has been provided by God himself.
One thing we learn from this part of Jonah’s story is that God is in control of ALL THINGS. No matter how big or small, God is in control. While you may think God’s abandoned you because of the current storm in your life or the massive thing in front of you that’s going to swallow you whole, know that God’s trying to get your attention. He’s pursued you since the day you were born. He wants you to be a part of his story that is unfolding right in front of you.
So, like Jonah, what do you do when God finally catches up to you? How do you respond when God’s got your full attention?
The first thing we learn in Jonah 2 is that we call to the Lord. In verse 1-6, we discover Jonah calls out to the Lord. When you find yourself in a mess, in a tight spot, in a place where it feels like a dark cloud has covered you, your starting place must be calling on the Lord.
We feel guilt in our lives because we run from God and until we turn back to him or repent, our guilt is going to be overwhelming. Jonah’s story reminds us when we’ve had enough of carrying our guilt around with us, we turn back to God and call on his Name.
The second thing we do is remember the Lord and all he’s done for us. Verse 7 tells us that Jonah remembered the Lord. Every Sunday, we partake of the communion which is the bread and wine which represents Jesus’ broken body and shed blood. We remember what Jesus did for us but our remembering gives us hope for the future. God is faithful. He has been faithful in the past and he’ll be faithful in future. God’s amazing grace is available to everyone who turn back to him.
When you can’t run anymore…when you are out of breath…when you are just plain tired of your decision making and God catches up, what do you do? Well, you worship the Lord with everything you have. Verses 8-9 tell us that Jonah worship God. The best way to deal with guilt is worship. We are called to worship the God of second chances. I mean, why would God give Jonah a second chance? Because God wasn’t done with Jonah yet and Jonah admitted he needed God and repented.
There is a God who has been pursuing you since you were born. You were meant to be a part of His story so stop running. Call on the name of the Lord, remember what he’s done for you through his Son Jesus Christ, and worship him with everything you have! Blessings on your journey.