Big Fish

Last night I attended a men's Bible Study at my church. Honestly I wasn't expecting much - not because of who the leader was, but because of the topic of the study, the book of Jonah. I, like probably every other person in the world, have read the book of Jonah in the past. The story hasn't changed - God called him to preach, he said no and ran away, a storm came, he was thrown overboard, got swallowed by a fish, finally agreed to obey God, and went to preach to the people of Nineveh. Most people have learned all about this story in Sunday School. Like I said, I wasn't expecting much. But, as it turned out, my expectations didn't define the outcome.

I learned, or maybe realized, some pretty big things last night about this guy named Jonah and his strange situation. Today, I will share here the first of three things that smacked me in the heart last night, and will hopefully provide some insight and encouragement with you. First, we need to go beyond our 3rd grade Sunday School perception of the story and look at it like real life, the way it really happened centuries ago...

Lesson #1: Disobedience to God's calling produces negative results
Throughout chapter 2 of the book, after Jonah is swallowed by the fish, you can't help but notice the mood behind all of the man's statements:

"I called out of my distress to the Lord...

I cried for help from the depth of hell...

You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas...

Water encompassed me to the point of death...

Weeds were wrapped around my head..."

Jonah 2: 2,3,5

Contrary to pictures from our old Precious Moments Bibles that portrayed Jonah sitting in a row boat in the belly of a whale, relaxing and waiting, the truth is that Jonah was in great despair. After he ran away from God's calling and hopped aboard a ship, a storm blew in and he was thrown overboard into the vast ocean. Then, he was swallowed whole by a big fish, where he experienced smells and sights that we cannot even imagine! All this was a result of his disobedience!

So what does this tell us? Well, first consider this: we, as Christians, are all called by God to live a life of holiness and godliness. That is our basic and fundamental calling in this life - to live for God. Some of us are called to do certain things, like Jonah, such as preaching or ministering. God expects us to obey that calling and when we don't, whether we refuse to live our lives for Him, or refuse to go and do the work to which He has called us, we are living in disobedience to Him. Like Jonah, we will undoubtedly face the consequences of that rebellion. That's not to say that we will be thrown into the ocean and get swallowed by a fish, but our lives will not be what they can be and could be otherwise.

When we obey God, our lives are filled with peace and joy, even in the midst of trials. When we disobey God in any way that peace and joy escapes us and we find ourselves depressed, frustrated, and experiencing things or cirsumstances that are not pleasant. Trust me, I have been there.

Sounds terrible right? But before you begin to think that God is a strict enforcer of His rules and ways and punishes His delinquent servants mercilessly, consider this: Even though Jonah spent three days and three nights in the fish, and even though his experience was terrifying, and even though God was correcting him, he survived. And, from the depths of the belly of the fish, he made this statement:

"While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord...Salvation is of the Lord."

God's grace prevails. Jonah was chastised for his disobedience, but the grace of God sustained him in the belly of the fish and, through it all, Jonah remembered God's undying love and ability to save. So, today, obey God, choose to follow Him. If you don't, then watch out for big fish...