Active Theology

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.” (Jonah 2:2, NLT)

Getting swallowed by a giant fish doesn’t really seem like a safety provision to me… I was reading a storybook Bible to my 11 month old daughter, and this particular night we were reading the story of Jonah. Her Bible has only one simple sentence about each story. This one read, “God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah and keep him safe.” The prayer on the next page said, “Thank you, God, for keeping me safe! Amen.”

I’m not sure about you, but whenever I find myself praying for God to provide, I don’t think I ever imagine His provision coming in the form of a giant fish swallowing me whole. Reading that simple paraphrase from her storybook Bible really got me thinking about the story of Jonah and the way God provided for Him and still provides for us today. However, sometimes God’s answers are not what we are expecting, or even desiring. 

Inspired by reading with my daughter, I read the book of Jonah later in the week. Jonah blatantly disobeyed God. (He was told to announce God’s judgment against the city of Ninevah, yet he went in the complete opposite direction.) God still showed mercy on him and provided a giant fish to keep him safe when he found himself thrown overboard in the middle of the sea. However, Jonah later finds himself angry when he discovers that the Lord is going to extend this same mercy to the evil city of Ninevah.  

Reading Jonah’s prayer from inside the fish was very eye opening for me. Jonah first starts his prayer by saying, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me.” (Jonah 2:2)  What a great reminder that God hears us and answers our prayers – even when it may not feel like it. I was also reminded of how Jonah shared that he cried out to God “in his great trouble”. I’m not sure how often Jonah talked with God, but seeing how his spiritual life seems very up-and-down throughout the book of Jonah, it makes me wonder if Jonah perhaps cried out to God more so when he needed things and was facing hardships. I do not know this for certain, but I have a feeling that if he was talking with God daily he would not have blatantly disobeyed his directions on such a big mission.  

Regardless of what Jonah’s communication patterns were with God throughout his life, this served as a great reminder to me of why it is important to consistently communicate with God. Maybe you are able to spend an hour each morning with God, reading your Bible and praying. Maybe you have a young baby and your Bible reading time looks like reading a page from a storybook Bible that is one simple sentence and a scripted prayer. God sees you where you are at. He so faithfully has provided for His people throughout history, and He is providing for us today. I’m going to strive to daily thank the Lord for his provision, even when it doesn’t look exactly like I want it to.

Pray: God, thank you for always hearing us and answering us. Please aid us in our discipline to daily spend time with You.  I pray that when you provide for us, we would recognize it and respond to it in thankfulness. 

Song: Psalm 3 (A Shield About Me) by Robbie Seay Band

Haley is a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids. She loves illustrating, designing, coffee dates with her husband, and teaching her children about Jesus. A few of her favorite things are Coke Zero, Peanut Butter M&M’s, and TJ Maxx.