Noble, 2, likes reading the same story every night for quite a long time before switching it up. For Bible stories, he was on a Big Boat kick (Noah and the Ark), but recently switched to the Big Fish story, a.k.a. Jonah and the Big Fish.
Years ago, when Roman was in a similar phase, I prayed one night, “Please Lord, if there’s any way, show me something new in this story that we’ve read SO MANY times.” Guess what? He did! And, that’s a story for another time!
Recently, Noble was snuggled in the “hole” in the side of the chair in his pj’s while we read about the big fish. I was pretty much on auto-pilot, when the words I’d read so many times before caught my eye and my heart in a new way. “Jonah didn’t like it in there. But Jonah was safe.”
If you don’t know the story, check it out! The Bible app, YouVersion, has a fascinating 5-day devotional that explains the book of Jonah, and why it’s important.
My very, very short paraphrase of the story is that Jonah runs away from God, towards Tarshish, because he doesn’t want to do what God asks him to do, preach against the city of Nineveh. Because of his disobedience to God, Jonah ends up putting the men’s lives in danger on the ship that was carrying him toward Tarshish. Eventually, Jonah tells the men to throw him overboard so that the violent storm will calm down, and the men’s lives will be spared. They finally throw him into the sea, and despite Jonah’s disobedience and defiance towards God, God saves Jonah from drowning by sending the big fish to swallow him.
Jonah was SAFE inside that big fish. God sent the fish to save Jonah from death. There is nothing I can find in the text that indicates that Jonah had any idea how long he would be in the fish.
When I had chronic Lyme Disease years ago now, the hardest aspect of that trial for us was the unknown. We didn’t know if I would ever get better. We didn’t know if we would be able to have kids. We wanted to have children, and had no idea how long we would be in that place of poor health, and continually trying to heal my body.
Of course, “the unknown” is not the reason all trials are difficult, but in reading about Jonah in the fish, and realizing he most likely did not know what would come next, or if he would ever get out of the fish, this struck a chord with me. God gave him the gift of his life, and he was in a safe place.
We have been looking for a new home for a while now. I’m a planner. I want to know where our next home will be, when we will get it (preferably now), and what it will be like. We don’t know the answers to any of these questions. Waiting isn’t fun, it’s usually hard, and it’s difficult to make some other decisions until this one is figured out. My perspective is that we NEED a new home. But, as I read this story, it inspired the question, are we safe where God has us right now? We are safe. That is something to give thanks for, and recognize.
We do not know when things will change, but just like Jonah being in a fish, and being just where God wanted him to be in that moment, we can know we are where we are supposed to be for this time. In reading this simplified version of an obscure story, for the 100th time (maybe a little exaggeration), God used it to encourage me by giving me perspective on our situation.
I hadn’t read Jonah in years. I decided to check it out after this particular night. This story shows a surprising and ironic contrast for the reader of the Israelite being a rebel, and directly disobeying God, while the pagan sailors immediately start offering sacrifices and fearing God after he shows his power and glory in stopping the raging sea. It is meant to humble the reader who upon reading the story might feel they don’t deserve as much judgement from God because they are already people of God, when in reality, the people of God can be as sinful as anyone else. This story also shows how God desires to show mercy to all, not just the Israelite people.*
Once inside the fish, Jonah’s prayer shows his heart change. He’s grateful God saved him.
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Jonah 2: 7-10
Despite the entire city of Ninevah, more than 120,000 people(!), turning from their evil ways, and taking heed of God’s message for them, the book ends unexpectedly.
God used Jonah in such a mighty way, but then Jonah is angry that those in Ninevah were given the same grace, compassion and love that was extended to him. The story ends with an angry Jonah sitting outside the city, watching and waiting to see what will happen to Ninevah. His behavior is reminiscent of a dramatic, pouty, irrational toddler who isn’t getting his way.
I was baffled by this ending. Why would Jonah not be happy and thankful that God used him in such a mighty way?! Where did all that entitlement come from? I’ve been contemplating this for a while. My takeway is that Jonah just didn’t love what God loved. He didn’t want what God wanted.
Why would Jonah not care about what God cares about after God literally saved his life when Jonah was in the middle of disobeying him? Why would Jonah be angry after all he’d just been through with God? After all the grace and compassion he had received?
At first, second and even third glance at this story, I thought, “There’s something to learn from Jonah, but we don’t have anything in common.” But, I realized that within my heart there’s been an undercurrent of resistance that I didn’t know was there. I haven’t wanted to accept our circumstances. How do you reject something that you don’t have any control over, but still don’t want to accept? Somehow I was managing to do that. My heart has been “running the opposite direction,” so to speak. I haven’t wanted what God wants for me, and has for us. I am not saying God wanted Brok to get a spinal cord injury. But, He has a plan for us, and for the injury’s role in our lives. (See Jeremiah 29:11)
Part of becoming more like Jesus, as we grow and learn from him is sharing in his joy, in his desires and will. Becoming aware of the state of my heart was a good start in changing the direction it was pointed (toward myself). In my head, I do desire to want what God wants, and to have a heart for other people the way he does. But, at the end of the day, I want Brok to be fully healed, and I don’t want to have this injury be a permanent part of our family story. I want to go on walks and bike rides with my family in this beautiful weather. I want to travel together, and play on the beach with ease. I want, I want, I want. Oh geez, I’m starting to sound like Jonah.
I don’t want sadness and bitterness to seep in, and always looking to the next thing that we want or need, when we’ve been given so much grace. Contentment is the goal.
Many have been inspired by Brok and his response to this injury, and by our story. They have told us so. If God wants to extend the same compassion and grace we have received to others through our circumstances and experiences, I am learning that I have the opportunity to reject that in my heart, or embrace it. God’s will, will be done either way, as shown with Jonah. But how much more wonderful, fulfilling and life-giving to celebrate getting to be used in others’ lives, rather than sitting on the sidelines wining about what we don’t have or can’t do. There isn’t a comparison!
As I regularly give God our dreams, hopes and daily needs in prayer with thanksgiving, I trust that the verses at the beginning of Roman’s 5 are true.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of that glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Rejoicing in our sufferings is a tall order sometimes, but, I persevere, and as I’ve seen in my life before, this verse will come true. The end result is hope after the perseverance. That’s the long game. The hope will come when my heart is focused on God, desiring to do his will, and abiding in Him.
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ ” Jonah 2:8-9
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12
*These interpretations were gathered from the YouVersion devotional on Jonah.
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