“For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”
(Luke 11:30 ESV)
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish.”
(Jonah 2:1 ESV)
What with all the doom and gloom around these days I was looking for a feel good story. Something to lighten the mood. I found Jonah.
I think most of us know the story of Jonah but just in case here is the short version: God told Jonah to go to warn the people of Nineveh of their coming judgment, he ran the opposite direction! He didn’t want to. Jonah boarded a boat, a storm came up, the boat was about to sink. Jonah let them throw him overboard since he was the cause. He got swallowed by a whale.
Now this part brings up a few questions. I understand a whale is large and could possibly swallow a man. But once swallowed, how did Jonah survive the stomach acid? I assume whales have stomach acid.
The next question. What did Jonah eat and drink? Three days is a long time to go without food and water.
Next and last question. Did Jonah have a bathroom area inside the whale? Well think about it. His body had functions that needed to be taken care of too.
I can see him catching fish the whale ate and chowing down on some. One of the first orders of sushi.
I know the answers to these questions. Do you? God! That’s right. Gold star for you today. God took care of Jonah. And once Jonah realized he had done wrong, he prayed. Then that whale spit him out on the beach. I can imagine that whale was as glad to get rid of him as Jonah was to see dry land again.
But you know, if God would take care of Jonah inside a whale, He will take care of us. God loves everyone of us and it grieves Him when we do stupid things. So I encourage each of us, myself included, repent. Get back right with God before it’s too late. Correct your mistakes.
Have a blessed day.
Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
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