The Bible says that "the Lord provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. " (Jonah 1:17 NRSV)Next we read that "Jonah prayed
to the Lord from the belly of the fish." (Jonah 2:1 NSRV)
Following Jonah's prayer, "the Lord spoke to the fish and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land." (Jonah 2:10 NSRV).
I have known this story all my life and yet today I was reminded that God used the whale to get Jonah's attention. It was a terrible circumstance that rocked Jonah's world, but the whale also saved his life and got him back on track.
There are times I feel overwhelmed by what I'm facing. Things seem hard and I question if God is aware. Today, God showed me how he uses the tough situations I face to actually help me.
I must admit...I don't usually see difficult circumstances this way. And this is the point where God challenges my thinking.
If I begin to see the value of tough circumstances in my life, I will move forward into more of what God has for me. If I continue to complain, mope or blame, then I stay in the belly of the whale.
