Devotion 4: How Do We Get Out Of This Fish?
Debbie Gabbara
"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." Jonah 1:17
There was an extremely difficult time in my family years ago that marked a season of growth and total dependence on God. However, in the midst of it all, as one event after another occurred, we were deeply shaken. During that time, my husband and I often asked each other, “What does God want us to learn or do so that we can get out of the belly of this fish?”
The book of Jonah tells us of a time when God had to completely shake up Jonah’s life. God gave Jonah an assignment that he was frightened by and unhappy about, so he tried to run away by boarding a ship going the opposite direction of where God told him to go. Because of his disobedience, God caused a storm that affected not just Jonah’s life but also the lives of those on the ship with him. They soon feared for their lives, tried to save themselves, and finally, they threw Jonah overboard...and God appointed a fish.
Scripture tells us that the Lord appointed a fish to swallow Jonah. God's purposes will always be accomplished, and He will be glorified. God gave Jonah an assignment and then, when he was thrown into the depth of his storm, God used divine intervention to keep him from drowning and give him time to repent.
There were days during our season of trial that we felt like we were sinking and sometimes wondered how we would make it. Yet, as the months went by, we began to see how God’s will was being accomplished in our lives. He kept us from drowning, all the while drawing us closer to Him and shaping us through His sovereign plan.
When storms and trials come, and we know they will, we have a choice. We can resist like Jonah, and God will humble us, or we can trust Him, submit to His will, and let Him lead us through.
Will God have to send a storm to shake us awake, or will we trust Him before it comes? I pray we do not have to spend too many days in the belly of the fish.