Jonah 2 Today

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God Bless You Today, Lena B

Jonah 2Jonah's Prayer
1Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the world of the dead, F1 and LORD, you heard me! 3You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. 4Then I said, 'O LORD, you have driven me from your presence. How will I ever again see your holy Temple?'
5"I sank beneath the waves, and death was very near. The waters closed in around me, and seaweed wrapped itself around my head. 6I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was locked out of life and imprisoned in the land of the dead. But you, O LORD my God, have snatched me from the yawning jaws of death!
7"When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God's mercies. 9But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone."
10Then the LORD ordered the fish to spit up Jonah on the beach, and it did.

Lena Journals ~
Does God ever throw us into the deep “ocean”?
Would He do that?
No, really, would He?
Thank about it.
Why does God allow anything specific to happen to or with us?
Why would He “do” that?
Love
Grace
& Purpose
Are a few words that come to me.
How can that be?
Grace would be, I’m not dead yet and maybe what I’ve experienced will actually shake me up enough to turn me towards Him and save me and lead me towards my destined purpose, that I actually still have time to fulfill.
Just maybe. (the maybe depends upon me and what I decide)
That’s grace.
Love, is, when I go ahead and turn away from the very ways He’s allotted me to walk in, He does not actually forsake me forever. As long as I’m alive here still, in decision making capability, I can turn back towards His ways. I cry out in pain, self inflicted agony, inside of the consequences of my own decisive choices and He is faithful to answer. He’s been waiting to hear His name roll off of my tongue. He loves me, desires me, looks for me, to come home!
When I feel SO far from home, He is just one turn away.
He graciously shows me how far away I have been and He sweeps me off my feet anyway!
My guilt is gone in a 180 pivoting.
He restores my very soul.
He even orders circumstances to cough me up.
Wow!