This Day in History: 0000-08-14

August 14 – Jonah 2:2

He said, “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and He answered me. I called to You from the land of the dead, and Lord, You heard me!”

There are quite a few take-aways from the short 4 chapters of Jonah, (here’s a whole blog post I wrote about Jonah, humility, and mercy) but I think this one might be my favorite: No matter how far we’ve strayed from God’s presence in this world, we are never – not EVER – beyond His reach!

I wish I could say I have nothing in common with Jonah, but sadly, I cannot. I have run from God on more than one occasion. I have turned my nose up to His plans. I have believed I knew better than Him. I’ve even sat and pouted when He didn’t do what I thought He should do. (As Jonah does at the end of the book.) How many of us can honestly examine our hearts and claim otherwise?

Unfortunately, (or maybe not?) I also know the absolute misery that swallows us whole when we’re far from Him. I know what it is exist in the “land of the dead.” Of course, for me the giant fish was figurative and not literal like it was for Jonah, but I don’t think the reality of the desperation that took hold in the belly of my beast was any less tangible.

Thankfully, like Jonah, I too finally cried out to the Lord in my great trouble. May I worship His holy Name forever and ever because, praise God, HE HEARD ME!

He hears you friend! I don’t care where you are, He knows you. I don’t care how far you’ve run, He sees you. I don’t care how great your rejection, He loves you! Cry out to Him today. He hears you! He will respond.