March 29, 2024

God Sent A Fish

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“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”  But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.
He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.  All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god.  And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.  But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.  The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep?  Get up and call on your god!  Maybe He will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”  Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.”  They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.  So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”  He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”  This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?”  (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.)  The sea was getting rougher and rougher.  So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”  “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm.  I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”  Instead, the men did their best to row back to land.  But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.  Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”  Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.  At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.  Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 1:2-17 NIV

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I have been Jonah before.  I may not have gone to the lengths that Jonah did to escape…but I had my own boat I floated away in.  Oh, how miserable I was.  Like Jonah, there were many storms and I took some of my shipmates down, too.  But God sent a fish for me also.  In a different form, of course.

We are so loved by our Creator that He will go to any lengths to rescue us—even from ourselves, even when we are the cause.  And when we try to run away, He will send a “fish” to redirect us.  Oh, how He gives so much grace and mercy.

We don’t have to feel shame and guilt because we are already forgiven. God wants the very best life for us. That’s why He leads us to places that we may not want to be…but He knows what’s best for us and He has already seen the rest of our story.

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What are you running from today?  Are you in the middle of a storm?  Hang on friend, help is in your reach.  Just ask your Guide to show you a new way!  Do you know Him?  Jesus longs to be in your life.  If you want Him to be your Savior then pray with me.

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died for my sins. I need forgiveness. I ask that You come into my heart today and be my Lord. Thank You. Help me to walk with You daily. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A Friendly Reminder About Guidance

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The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
Psalm 146:8

Life can be burdensome.  As I step forth into this new season of my life, I find myself making the classic mistake of not taking everything to God.  I find myself trying to decide what I should do or what I shouldn’t do.  Making life choices can be difficult when done alone.  My pastor has said that when you say ‘yes’ to something, you are saying ‘no’ to something, as well.  Right now my major concerns in life are career choices.  Do I want to go back to school, or do I want to get a second job…again.  Do I want to do both?  Can I do both?  Do I want to go back to being so exhausted and never having time to do anything but work and work.

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Proverbs 29:18

Getting advice from parents, friends, mentors, or an advisor is a smart choice; but ultimately their advice is just that—advice.  The true Decider and Decision maker is the Lord Almighty.  He has a plan.  He has a purpose for you.  He knows where you would fit best.  Yes, He places people around us to help guide us, but we need to do so prayerfully.  You don’t exactly want to take financial advice from someone who is not a good steward of their own money, for example.

When we spend daily time with God we can bring Him the concerns of our hearts and the decisions we have to make. God knows. He knows what we are supposed to do and He promises in Psalm 32:8,

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

No matter what you are facing today—how big or small, how easy or hard—remember that you have a God who wants to help and lead you down the correct path.

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Lord, thank You for Your ever ready and never-ending guidance through life.  We have a tendency to make our lives harder than they need to be.  Help me to constantly pause and remember that I serve a God who loves me dearly and knows every step I need to take to fulfill the purpose set before me.  Help me to lean on You instead of myself, and to never stop trusting in Your awesome plans for me.  Amen.