Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in life? No matter what you do it’s more and more difficult to get your head above water? Maybe it’s finances, bills keep coming, costs keep rising, and the unexpected happens— car breaks down, water heater goes out, the dog needs a vet. Maybe you’re drowning relationally— almost every important relationship you have seems “off”, your kids aren’t listening or wanting to talk, your spouse seems distant, criticism at work makes it feel like your sinking lower everyday. If you’re single, Mr. or Miss Wonderful just seems further and further out of reach.
We can imagine the feeling Jonah was having as he literally sank deeper and deeper down. He’d disobeyed God, and ran from him. He’d endangered the lives of innocent sailors as he knew this terrible storm was God’s way of getting his attention. And now here he was, thrown overboard into the raging sea. Surely he thought this was it, this was the end; He hadn’t trusted God, obeyed God, or even prayed to God. He just kept sinking down, down, drowning in the waves of shame and regret, drowning in the massive waves made by the God he knew and feared.
But God saw Jonah, and God wasn’t done with Jonah yet. He provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah where he stayed in the belly 3 days and 3 nights. Then Jonah did something, finally; from the belly of a huge fish, Jonah made the first right decision he’d made in some time. Jonah prayed. When Jonah hit rock bottom, he prayed. When he was in absolute darkness, when life stunk more than Jonah ever could have imagined it would—that’s when Jonah finally prayed. Verse 2 says, “from the belly of the grave I cried, Help!”. The word grave here is the Hebrew word Sheol, translated Hell in many places. It took Hell for Jonah to reach out to God.
I suggest to you today, if you feel you are drowning: depressed, discouraged, devastated by life’s circumstances, that might actually be the best place you can be. If sinking to rock bottom compels you to turn to God like Jonah, crying, HELP! Running to the one who made you, knows you and loves you most; that’s a beautiful place to be. When there’s nowhere else to go, nowhere else to turn, God’s arms are faithfully outstretched, ready to lift you up from the belly of the whale. He longs to draw you near to him, and have you walk with him, in the direction he’s always wanted for you—out of the darkness of the belly of the fish and into the light and life of Jesus himself.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member