Verse of the Day 6/8

Jonah 2:9(AMP)  But as for me, I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation and deliverance belong to the Lord!

 

I am sure that we are all aware of the life and trials of Jonah in the Old Testament.  Today's verse comes from that book and should be an encouragement for us.  No matter what we face, salvation and deliverance belong to God.

You might think, "that's easy for him to say".  Well, no it wasn't.  The words came while he was still in the belly of the fish.  The preceding two verses give us an indication of his emotions amidst the circumstances.

 

Jonah 2:7-8 (ESV) When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
8  Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

 

As his life was fainting, ebbing away, he remembered, he prayed.  He felt the love of God and was miraculously delivered.  His was a prayer of brokenness and God restored him.  Oftentimes, something needs to be totally broken, torn down, before it can be built or rebuilt.

 

Notice how when his life was flashing before his eyes, he realized the foolishness of vanity, chasing after "vain idols".  The Lord stopped him in his tracks, or his sails, as it were, in pursuit of these things and running from God.  This stopping and the "rending" of his heart led to a personal and city wide revival in that pagan town of Nineveh.

 

I am sure that you do not find yourself in the belly of a whale this morning, but wherever you do find yourself, if you need help, turn, cry out to Jesus.  Salvation and deliverance belong to Him.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV
Jonah 2  The Message (MSG)  - At the Bottom of the Sea

 

 1-9 Then Jonah prayed to his God from the belly of the fish. He prayed:
   "In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God.
   He answered me.
From the belly of the grave I cried, 'Help!'
   You heard my cry.
You threw me into ocean's depths,
   into a watery grave,
With ocean waves, ocean breakers
   crashing over me.
I said, 'I've been thrown away,
   thrown out, out of your sight.
I'll never again lay eyes
   on your Holy Temple.'
Ocean gripped me by the throat.
   The ancient Abyss grabbed me and held tight.
My head was all tangled in seaweed
   at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root.
I was as far down as a body can go,
   and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever—
Yet you pulled me up from that grave alive,
   O God, my God!
When my life was slipping away,
   I remembered God,
And my prayer got through to you,
   made it all the way to your Holy Temple.
Those who worship hollow gods, god-frauds,
   walk away from their only true love.
But I'm worshiping you, God,
   calling out in thanksgiving!
And I'll do what I promised I'd do!
   Salvation belongs to God!"

 

 10 Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore.