Source Channel · retold from Jonah 1–2
The word of the LORD comes to Jonah, the son of Amittai. He is to go to the great city of Nineveh and cry against it. But Jonah rises up and flees from the LORD.
Fleeing to Tarshish
Jonah goes down to Joppa. There he finds a ship going to Tarshish. He pays the fare and goes aboard.
“But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”
– Jonah 1:4
Storm at Sea
The sailors are afraid. Each one cries out to his god, and they throw the cargo into the sea. But Jonah is down in the ship, fast asleep.
The shipmaster wakes him and tells him to call on his God. The men cast lots, and the lot falls on Jonah. They ask him who he is.
“I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”
– Jonah 1:9
Jonah tells them to throw him into the sea, and then it will be calm. The men row hard to reach land, but they cannot. They cry to the LORD, throw Jonah into the sea, and the sea stops raging.
In the Belly of the Fish
The LORD prepares a great fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah is in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. There he prays to the LORD his God.
“I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”
– Jonah 2:2
He prays about the waters that surround him and about the deep. When his soul faints within him, he remembers the LORD. He ends his prayer with thanksgiving.
“And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”
– Jonah 2:10
What This Has to Do with You Today
Jonah does not wait to pray until everything is fine again. He prays from the very bottom, in the middle of his distress. If you feel you can't go on right now, this story tells you that a prayer is heard even from the depths.
Never Alone Guide: When you can't go on →
Bible quotes: King James Version (public domain). This retelling stays with the Bible text and adds no events. Photos: Unsplash.
