Isaiah 55:6 – “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
ILet’s talk about Jonah. Jonah refused to obey God. Apparently, he made a vow to the Lord and reneged. (sidenote: I’ve learned the hard way to never break a vow to the Lord…unless you want real trouble headed your way!)
Jonah is running from God and hops on a ship headed the wrong way. He is met with a horrifying experience being thrown overboard into the heart of the seas. With weeds wrapped around his head, he perceives the ‘earth with its bars closed’ behind him forever. I picture him with arms and legs outstretched floating down to the bottom of the sea. He is trapped in the depths of despair as he feels the weight of his disobedience to God. With perhaps only seconds to go, Jonah remembered the Lord and prayed to Him. When he prayed, God sent the whale to swallow him and save his life. In that short period of time, the LORD could still be found.
It was pretty nasty dealing with the consequences of his sin, as I can only imagine the disgusting smell in the fish’s belly! Three days later, Jonah thanked God and committed to pay what he vowed. Then, the LORD spoke to the fish; and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
God is always available to those who seek Him while breath is still in our body. His power is great and He is able to make possible the impossible. Not to mention, He CAN find a way for us to recognize that He is the One in control! Don’t neglect to call on Him while He is near!
- Vicki Rance
