IN THE FISH
Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17 NLT)
If we read the whole story in the book of Jonah, we see that he was inside the fish because he decided to disobey God.
How is the life of someone who deliberately decided not to obey God?
- Their life and that of others around them are complicated. “Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.”. (Jonah. 1:13 NLT)
- They go through unnecessary storms in their spiritual, family, social, and financial life.
- They don’t fully enjoy their life. Life becomes something like the inside of a fish.… And Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17 NLT)
What will a whale’s esophagus look like?
I imagine:
-It smells bad. Life stinks.
-It’s dark. Where there is no light there is darkness, there is sadness, depression; happiness and joy are gone, boredom, there is no purpose.
– Strange sounds are heard. The intestines make dark noises.
-There are digestive acids. Things happen in life that suddenly destroy everything we have achieved.
They destroy health.
They destroy the family.
They destroy finances.
They destroy joy.
Solution:
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish’s belly.And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me… (Jonah 2:1-2 NLT)
Think about it:
Have you ever decided to disobey God?
What were the consequences of that decision?
Have you felt like inside a whale?
Have you cried out to God for help?