God Restores The Fugitive
God Restores The Fugitive
God’s Authority Is Recognized
Jonah 1:17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 2:3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.
Then Jonah prayed. He finally recognized the authority of God in his life. If you’ve been running from God’s direction(s), don’t wait until you get to the bottom in order to call out to God.
Human Choices Over God Choices Lead Downward
Jonah 2:2 I called to the Lord in my distress… 2:6 At the roots of the mountains I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever…
We, like Jonah, get in trouble when we follow only human directions. He was in trouble because of His disobedience to God’s instructions.
He said he had rather be dead, than obedient, and that is where he was headed. When we run from God, it leads to the lowest possible place in our life.
Jonah said ‘I had rather die than do God’s will,’ and that is where he finds himself, as good as dead, at the bottom of the earth.
God Reaches For Us On Our Way Down
Jonah 2:3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.
Jonah 2:4a Then I said, ‘I am cast out of Your sight;
Jonah 2:6 At the roots of the mountains, I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.
He was headed down to the bottom and realized that only God, Who was willing, could save him.
We will never get enough of “what we don’t need,” merely human provision, to satisfy us.
Only when we are willing to follow God’s lead will we be satisfied and whole.
Jonah 2:8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.
When we disobey God, and follow our own way, we forsake the only mercy available.
Christians who forsake God’s guidelines and go their own way, are going to be slamming their whole lives up against the justice of God.
God Can Restore Us
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, “I am cast out of Thy sight; yet I will look again toward Thy holy temple.”
Jonah believes that God will save him, even before it happens.
Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Jonah recognizes that God will forgive, and that He has the power to deliver him. Often, it is only when we get into a predicament which we can’t handle, that we begin to (re)consider God.
God Reclaims His Own
Jonah 2:10 And Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out on the dry land.
It’s truly amazing God had control of that fish’s brain to get it to where dry land was available, and have it place Jonah there.
It’s exciting when God sets His mind to recover one of His disobedient children.
It’s a miracle when we’ve been running from God, but then recognize that God is speaking to us, wants us to listen, and that His forgiveness is available. It’s a miracle when we see that His power can extract us from whatever mess we’ve gotten into.
He can turn us around, and put us where He wanted us to go in the first place. In that place, there will be peace.