Christian Living

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by Rev. Jeff Hagan, DCE, DMin, (ThD)

Scripture: Jonah 2

Introduction:

Some of the problems we face in life come as a result of our disobedience. In the second chapter of Jonah, the soaked spokesman, teetering from the result of God's discipline, prayed about his situation. We can learn from the prayer that Jonah offers up to God.

Jonah's Prayer of Recovery Teaches Us:

1. Confront Our Circumstances (2:1-6a) - We see the phrase "I cried" twice in these verses, and two different verbs are used. The first one is a general term, but the second indicates a particular cry for a help, a screaming out to God if you will. Jonah honestly confronted his circumstances. He confessed the mess that he had made for himself.

2. Come to our Senses (2:6b-7) - The key word here is "remembered." Jonah coming to his senses here, by "rembering," carries with it the same idea as the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 when he "came to himself." Once the Prodigal Son "came to his senses," he returned to his father.

3. Construct our "Sermon" (2:8) - A very important recovery question that can be applied to any struggle we have gone through is, "What have I learned from this?" At this point in the passage we have Jonah explaining the lesson God has taught him, or "constructing his sermon," as our sub-heading states. Jonah says, "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs" (NIV).

4. Complete our "Sacrifice" (2:9) - Be sure to always keep your word. Follow through on your vows and promises.

Conclusion:

All of us tend to make a mess of things at times. Maybe you've made a mess of things and right now you feel like you're in the belly of a great fish, so to speak. Well, that's the perfect place to be to take the first steps toward returning to life a better, more appreciative, and wiser person.

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