Jonah 2
Jonah's Prayer

Wow, I hope I don't have to go through what Jonah did to come before God in repentance and seek his help and grace. But sometimes it seems we have to go to the depths of despair before we see our need and look up to help from our holy God. We may feel like engulfing waters surround us and even that seaweed is wrapped around our heads (verse 5)--threatening to suffocate us.

But God is always with us--he is but a heart's cry away. Like he rescued Jonah from the sea, he can rescue us from our sin and deliver us from difficult circumstances. It may not be easy--for Jonah to be rescued, he had to be swallowed by a great fish, and then (I'm sure not painlessly) vomited onto dry land.

I hope I don't need to be swallowed and spit out by difficult circumstances in life to learn that God is near and always ready to hold me up. But if, and probably when, that time comes, I pray that I may have the grace and strength to hold onto Jesus through the swirling waters, and come back onto dry land, ready to serve him.


- posted by Suzi @ 8:14 AM