Two-minute read.
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 2:9
The prophet, plummeting through the waters, knows he will die if the Lord doesn’t intervene, and Jonah trusts God will help. Commanding the whale to vomit Jonah out, the Creator saved his life from the ocean’s depths, giving Jonah another chance to complete his mission. The Lord wanted Jonah to go to Ninevah and call them out for their evil ways, but instead, the prophet boarded a ship to Tarshish and ended up in the belly of a fish.
In despair, Jonah cries out to the Lord for salvation and receives it. Once saved, the prophet fulfills his mission, traveling to Ninevah and giving them the message from the Lord, which causes the evil city to repent and receive salvation as well. God offers salvation to all who turn to Him and repent, forgiving their sins and giving them new life as He did Jonah and the Ninevites. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites deserved salvation, so he resisted telling them the Lord’s message. However, once God demonstrated His saving grace to Jonah, the prophet submitted to the Creator and did His will.
In life, we must remember that God’s ways differ from ours. We have a limited perspective, but the Lord sees all things. The Creator calls us to love others for Him. When we judge people unworthy of God’s salvation, we place ourselves in the judgment seat, a job the Lord didn’t give us to do. Jonah made that mistake, and we can learn from him or end up in the belly of a fish, requiring divine assistance. One way or another, God will accomplish His will and continue to offer salvation to all who repent and turn to Him.
Praise:
Praise God for His salvation.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for giving us Your saving grace despite our sinful ways. Please help us center our lives on You and not put ourselves in the judgment seat. Let us complete our mission to love others for You, submitting our lives to Your will, not ours.
IJNIP. Amen
