13 August | EVERYONE
"The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; the deep closed around me; weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; the earth with its bars closed behind me forever; yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God." Jonah 2: 5,6
Jonah is known in the Bible as the prophet who refused to fulfill his mission. Instead of going to Nineveh to evangelize, he descended into the port of Joppa and walked steadily downhill until he reached the depths of the ocean.
Human beings have only two alternatives. Either they walk with God and climb to the unfathomable heights of God's plans, or they turn away from Him and descends into the abyss of their human chaos. There is no middle ground. Jonah chose the second option and ended up with the waters surrounding his soul. At the bottom of the abyss, the seaweed was entangled in his head, had him submerged in the dark roots of his pain, imprisoned in the prison of his wrong decisions.
But the biblical story does not end in tragedy but in redemption. From the dark depths of his chaotic situation, Jonah cried out to the Lord, later writing: “You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God."
Glory be to God because He does not consider the human being a lost cause. You may have descended into the darkest depths, or you may have distanced yourself from the Lord, usurping the life He entrusted to you; but if one day the Spirit touches your heart and you cry out to Him, the angels of heaven will come immediately to bring you out of the pit of slavery in which you are plunged.
Take Action
There is no distance that cannot be bridged by God’s love, there is no darkness that cannot be illuminated by the light of the gospel. And it is never too late to go back. You have God at your disposal; take advantage of it! Sing "Jonah's Prayer" (if possible, with your family).