Devotion 5: God’s Rescue Plan
Pastor Keaton Washburn
From the time I was a young kid, I have always been afraid of storms. When I was little, when the thunder and lightning began, I bolted into my parents’ room and up into their bed with them. I spent many nights snuggled between my parents as the storm raged outside. Even to this day, I’m not a fan of thunderstorms. I struggle to sleep and my mind races. As we are studying Jonah, I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to be on the ship with Jonah and the sailors in the midst of their great storm.
As a way of reminder, let’s get up to speed on Jonah’s situation. After running from God after He told him to go to Nineveh, the ship that Jonah was on faced a great storm. The sailors cast lots to determine whose fault it was and the lots fell on Jonah. Jonah didn’t run from the truth any longer and admitted that he was fleeing the Lord. After some vexation, the sailors agreed to throw Jonah overboard. At this point, let’s pick it up in Jonah 1:17 which says, “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.”
I once heard a pastor say that the storm was God’s provision, not His punishment. And the great fish that swallowed up Jonah—God’s provision, not His punishment. Oftentimes, suffering in our lives is also God’s provision, not His punishment. Put yourself in Jonah’s shoes for a moment, what does the storm feel like? A punishment or a provision? If we’re honest, it feels like a punishment from God. Jonah disobeyed and now he’s paying the price for it by having to be thrown overboard to drown in the middle of a huge storm. But God didn't let that happen, He rescued Jonah with the great fish. He was trying to get Jonah’s attention!
I don’t know what you’re going through today, but if you are wondering what God is doing and why He’s allowing things into your life that you wouldn’t choose, have you looked to Him in this situation? There’s a good chance God is providing for you in a way you aren’t even aware that you need Him to. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31