Daily Devotions
January 20th, 2010 by Pastor SolleyJonah 2:1-4
2:1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly,
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.Most know the account of Jonah. We pick things up here after God commissioned the prophet to go to Nineveh and Jonah tried to run from the presence of God. Here he finds himself in the belly of the great fish. What was it that took Jonah to this place? It was pride, a hard heart and self will. Notice what the Jonah says later in this chapter. – Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
What vows can Jonah be talking about? We have seen none from him in this account. But prior to God sending Jonah to Nineveh the prophet must have vowed to preach the Word of the Lord, vowed to be a prophet where God sent him. – Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
What is my point? We need to heed the Word of God, heed the leading of the Spirit of God. When we make promises while under conviction God still remembers them when we are taken away by self will and pride. God will work in our lives to bring us back to the place where we will do what we have promised we will do. God was not unjust in what He did to Jonah for Jonah had promised to follow the will of God.