June 12 Devotion: Your Great Fish

Your Great Fish

Jonah 1:17

Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

I remember a few times when I was younger, one of my brothers being told to go outside and cut his own switch to get a spanking with. One of those occasions I recall him getting in even more trouble because of the lame switch he came back in with. Not only had he gotten in trouble, but now had made it worse by trying to make the upcoming punishment a little easier to bear.

Jonah, we know, was instructed to go to Nineveh. He blatantly disobeyed and ends up being swallowed up by a great fish. Based on Jonah’s description of being in the belly:

Jonah 2:2-5

And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. [3] For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. [4] Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. [5] The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

I don’t think this is what he would’ve chosen for disobeying God. Yes, he told the mariners to throw him overboard, but not to be swallowed by a great fish. We get to choose to obey or disobey the Lord. We don’t get to choose the punishment for disobeying! We know Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. That might not sound too bad when it’s not you in that situation. However, we don’t know how long something may last, or the severity. I’m not saying God is just waiting on us to disobey so He can cast judgment upon us. It would serve us better though to obey when He speaks with us because we don’t get to pick the ramifications of our disobedience.

We don’t get to pick the length or severity of any potential judgement God may send our way, so it’s better to then just obey when He speaks.

God bless,

Bro. Josh Richardson