Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)
My mom spent over a month in the hospital last year. When she was ready to be released, we were so excited—until the insurance company denied the doctors’ orders for rehabilitation. Too weak to walk, she wondered if she would get the care she needed to eventually come home.
Jonah may have had similar doubts when he was approached by a huge predatory fish and swallowed alive. Still conscious, but captive in claustrophobic darkness, he waited as digestion proceeded. Then, the fish got sick. A bad situation worsened as Jonah experienced the sensations of becoming regurgitated prey. In no instance did Jonah’s experience feel safe or beneficial. But Jonah’s predator was a vessel of God’s grace. The fish caught him and preserved him, saving him from drowning, then holding him while God worked on his heart. Even the vomit was a means of transportation, progress towards Jonah’s next step.
Have you felt stuck while God worked on your circumstances or your heart? My mom did. Yet it turned out she had been experiencing undetected mini-seizures, and after a week of fighting the insurance company, she had one large enough to observe. Since she was still in the hospital, she received treatment within the hour. God can use uncomfortable or even dangerous situations to our benefit. And his Word promises that he means to do just that!
Resolve to let unpleasant circumstances deepen your relationship with God.
Debbie Shaw is a graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and resides in North Carolina with her husband, Lee. She enjoys gardening, painting, reading, and coffee.
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
