Greetings to you all greatly beloved of God and welcome to another episode of our study of the Scriptures. We bless the name of the Lord God for His many blessings over us. Praise be to God!
In our today’s episode 614, we shall be examining Chapter 2 of the book of Jonah titled:
The Prayer Of Jonah From The Belly Of A Miraculous Fish
Recall that chapter 1 ended with the statement:
At the Lord’s command, a large fish swallowed Jonah, and he was inside the fish for three days and three nights.
And then in chapter 2:1, the Bible says Jonah prayed, out of the fish’s belly.
Some people have asked, “How could it have been possible for Jonah to pray right there in the belly of the fish?”
The simple answer is: It’s a miracle. Right from the time he was cast into the sea till the time he was vomited ashore, the entire episode was a miracle.
Some people even disputed the story that it was a mere fiction.
However, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself confirmed the story to be true according to Matthew 12:40 where He said: “…Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish…”
The truth is, when God has not finished with you yet, He will do everything possible to make sure you fulfil His divine purpose on earth, irrespective of distractions, oppositions or even resistance from yourself.
That’s exactly what happened to Jonah – God was not done with him yet.
Verses 2-9 provide us with the details of Jonah’s prayer.
It is amazing to note that Jonah quoted at least three Psalms in his prayers.
He quoted Psalm 18:6 in verse 2.
He quoted Psalm 42:7 in verse 3.
And then he quoted Psalm 31:22 in verse 4.
This shows that Jonah knew the Word of God by heart.
This is a very good lesson for every believer. There are times we may not have access to our physical Bible, but what we have read, understood and committed to memory from the Bible will form our potent weapon in the days of adversity.
Knowledge of the rightly divided Word of God is very key in our day to day living on this planet earth.
Lessons to learn from chapters 1 and 2:
Jonah knew he sinned by disobeying God and admitted it to those in the ship. He did not give excuses. He told them the truth. He did this because he feared God.
Having told them his offence, he suggested he should be punished for his sin so that others in the ship would be saved. To him, it’s not worth losing innocent lives for his own personal disobedience.
Jonah used the opportunity he had in the fish’s belly to pray. He did not throw any pity party. Rather, he prayed and praised God.
And then the Bible records that God heard his prayers and instructed the fish to vomit Jonah on the beach and the fish obeyed.
What happened next?
To be continued…stay tuned and stay blessed.
Let’s pray:
The Bible says, if you faint in the day of adversity, then your strength is small (Prov 24:10). I declare, in any situation you may find yourself, you will not faint or grow weary, in Jesus name.
The grace to constantly put upon yourself the whole armour of God, receive it in Jesus name.
The Word of God will continue to be a lamp to your feet and a Light on your path. As you navigate the journey of life, you will not stumble. Receive clarity of mind and purpose, in Jesus name.
Bible Readings For Today: The whole book of Haggai and Zechariah 1,2&3 with Isaiah Chapters 48-49.
I call you blessed now and always.
Wednesday December 9, 2020 (DDMI)