Jonah 2:3-12 ESV (Portions)

“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice… O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.”

Jonah found himself in deep trouble of his own making. God had told Jonah to go warn Nineveh of imminent judgment if they didn’t repent. Instead, Jonah took the next ship to Tarsus. When a violent storm threatened to capsize the ship,

Jonah knew it was God’s judgment for his disobedience and told the sailors to throw him overboard. He was promptly swallowed by a large fish. Jonah could have sulked or given up, but in the belly of the fish, he repented.

I know that sounds like a fairy tell to some people, but my God can do anything…anything! Jonah in a precarious situation, finding himself alive but in great danger, cried out to God, saying; “O Lord my God. When my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.”

I love the mercies of God! No matter what the circumstances, He delivers! Jonah reached the heart of God, not with his vow, but with his sacrifice of praise. “I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you.”

Prayer:
Father, no matter what I get myself into, no matter how far I wonder, I will remember to offer You a sacrifice of praise!