"But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights." -Jonah 1:17
It has been forever since I have blogged, but I felt the need to share something that hit me so hard this past Tuesday. I was in my Bible study group and we were talking about Jonah chapter 1. I had read chapter 1 four times prior to going to Bible study and of course I still managed to miss some things that the other wonderful ladies managed to pick up on. One of those being in the very last verse of the chapter. It is posted above.
From a young age, anyone raised in church knows the story of Jonah. Jonah was punished for his disobedience to God. ...or was he? So many people see God as a spiteful being who pours out His wrath on those who disobey Him. He sent the fish to swallow Jonah, yes; but one thing we found very interesting in verse 17 though was the word "provided." God provided a fish for Jonah to be swallowed by. That one word, often overlooked, can change the whole context of the story. Yes, Jonah was being reprimanded for his disobedience, but without the "punishment" of being swallowed by the fish, he probably would have died in the middle of the sea. He would have lost his life due to one mistake, but God so mercifully provided a way out. God still needed his work to be done and offered Jonah a second chance. The provided fish is a representative of all the roadblocks that God puts in our lives. He provides difficulties and things that may seem like punishments, so that His glory will shine though at the end of it all. In the end, He is always providing for us and has our best interest and His glory in mind.
I challenge you to switch the context next time you feel like God is working against you. Look at the situation in a different context and see if you can find how God is providing another option or a better way for you.
