Wednesday, August 29: Jonah 2 - Lessons from times of trouble.

Mentally and spiritually, where do you go when you are in trouble? Truth be told I don’t go to one ‘place,’ my immediate circumstances have much to do with where I go mentally and spiritually.

Jonah has been tossed into a raging sea and swallowed by a big fish. Chapter 2 begins, from inside the fish… I would consider Jonah’s predicament being in trouble! Jonah turns to prayer. And the recorded prayer of chapter 2 is powerful and its depth suggests Jonah is a man familiar with prayer and the prayers of the Psalms.

Within his prayer it was the sentence of verse 8 that caught my attention. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. The first thing I did with this sentence is let it settle into my soul. I read it, re-read it slowly, pondering its message. I was particularly attracted to the ending. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

What a sad state of being.

I thought about the sentence, writing it as if it were a positive rather than a negative. It would read something like this:

Those who cling to the Lord find grace that becomes theirs.

Interesting how our minds can turn a thought over and over.

Grace dominated the remainder of my morning with God. The Lord God, my God (hopefully your God) is the giver of abundant and immeasurable grace. Why would I go anywhere else?

One day many followers began to leave Jesus because they found His teaching too difficult (John 6). Jesus turned to the disciples and asked if they were going to leave too. Peter responded for the group, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

Jonah understands that the Lord also has immeasurable grace.

Grace, grace, God’s grace; Grace that is greater than all my sin. Grace, grace, God’s grace; Grace that can pardon and forgive…

Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see…

Oh, God, how sad it is that people who cling to any god other than You ,forfeit grace that could be theirs.

Oh, God, how wonderful it is for those of us who cling to You because You shower us with amazing, immeasurable, wonderful, saving, life-giving grace!

Thank You, Lord. Thank You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.