Believes That Salvation Comes From The Lord

Believes That Salvation Comes From The Lord

A HERO’S TALE

What’s been the grossest experience in your life? Eating a worm? Falling in a mud puddle? Having to pick up the “presents” your dog leaves in the backyard?

Whatever it was, it’s nothing compared to Jonah’s worst day.

Imagine living in fish guts for three whole days. That’s what happened to Jonah! After Jonah was thrown overboard from the ship to Tarshish, Jonah 1:17 says, “The LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (NIV). Ewwww.

How did Jonah eat, sleep, and breathe? And when he did breathe . . . oh, the stench!

We don’t know exactly what those 72 hours were like for Jonah, but his runaway heart turned back toward God during that time. Inside the fish, Jonah prayed and thanked God for saving him (see Jonah 2). He acknowledged that if God hadn’t sent the fish to swallow him, he certainly would have drowned.

After Jonah’s three-day antipleasure cruise, the fish “vomited Jonah onto dry land” (Jonah 2:10, NIV). The poor guy needed a shower like nobody’s business!

DECODING THE MESSAGE

As Jonah found out through a very wet and smelly experience, God loves to save. God desires to love and forgive us, even though we don’t deserve his salvation (see Romans 3:23).

Because of our sins, we deserve God’s wrath and punishment. But God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the punishment we deserve by dying on the cross. Now, if we trust in Jesus, God promises to save us from our sins.

Praise God that he is a God of salvation!

BATTLE PLAN

The book of Psalms often mentions God’s salvation. Have a contest with a friend or family member: in five minutes, see who can find the most references to God’s salvation in the Psalms. (Hint: You’ll need a big sheet of paper!) Afterward, read the lists to each other and marvel at God’s goodness!