Devotion 3: Remember The Lord

Justin Foroozan

I’ve been very self-reliant for the majority of my life. Whatever I did, or wherever I would go, I could always take care of myself. Even when I got into trouble, I would think, “If I got myself into this, then I would get myself out!” This thought ruled my life and all of my actions until the fateful day came when I screwed up and couldn't fix it. I remember trying to sweet-talk my way out of trouble and feeling of dread when I realized it wasn't going to work! I realized that I had no power and I needed help.

“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, ‘I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.’” Jonah 2:1-2

I can imagine the feeling that Jonah had before being thrown off the boat into the water. He had thought he would be in big trouble if he went to Nineveh, so he decided to take things into his own hands. Then, once on the boat in the storm, he realized he had no power, and his actions were causing all of the chaos. He sacrificed himself into the sea and was swallowed by a fish, and in his distress, Jonah calls out to the Lord and he is heard. He decides to stop relying on himself and starts to rely on God. When we cry out to the Lord, He hears us. We might not know how He intends to help us, but neither did Jonah when he went into the water, and He still turned to the Lord.

“When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!” Jonah 2:7-9

In Jonah’s lowest of lows, with his life fainting away, he “remembered the Lord.” For those who are self-reliant like me, we act like the only time we should remember the Lord is when we are desperate, but God wants us to come to Him with everything. We become vain idol-worshipers when we look to ourselves. We forsake our hope when we don’t turn to the Lord. We must remember the Lord, even when we think our troubles seem small and not important enough for Him. We must remember the Lord, even when we think we are able to take control. With the voice of thanksgiving, we should be grateful that the Lord has it all figured out for us, because “salvation belongs to the Lord!”