Down, Down, Down
Today, let me tell you
a story about a guy named Jonah. God spoke to him and told him to go to a city
called Nineveh and tell the people to start living right. Jonah heard God but
left for Tarshish. He didn't listen to God. He ran away from God! That was the beginning
of a downward spiral in his life.
First he went DOWN to
Joppa. He found a boat sailing that direction, boarded it and then went DOWN
below deck to rest. A great storm came upon the ship and it wasn't long till
Jonah realized that it was his disobeying God that was bringing on the chaos.
So he told the shipmates to throw him overboard and Jonah was thrown off and
went DOWN into the water. Every decision he was making was taking him DOWN!
God sent a BIG FISH to
swallow Jonah and rescue him. And once Jonah found himself in the belly of the
whale he had a change of heart. Jonah prayed to God in that desolate, dark
place and God heard him. He spent 3 days and nights in there before the fish spit him out on dry land. This time he obeyed and did what God asked him to do.
I wonder how many
times we find our selves spiraling downward because we fail to listen to what
God is saying? The good news is that no matter how bad things become, you and I
will probably never find ourselves in the belly of a BIG FISH! We can turn our life around right now, wherever we are.
God is waiting to hear
our prayer and he's ready to help stop us from going in the wrong direction.We can use our second chance to bring Him glory. Ultimately, that is what
will lead to our success.
How about you? Is it time for a
change? Are you tired of going down, down, down and ready to try things God's
way? To keep from going down, look up!
Jonah 2:9-10 But I,
with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.What I have
vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." And the
LORD commanded the fish, and it spit Jonah onto dry land.
