He [Jonah] said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.”

This narrative of the events that happened to Jonah is a compelling piece about the deep, deep love of God. And in the past couple of years, while not running from God, there are definitely times when I felt like the world was falling apart and life had a sinking or crushing effect. But God was the one constant. He is always there for me.

Relationships and people fail us at times, sometimes in the toughest of times. Careers we counted on, promises made but not kept, economic changes, natural disasters, all of these things can evaporate in seemingly an instant. But God is always right beside us.  

In thinking about my friends and neighbors, some of which can be at major a crossroads in life, the story of Jonah, and this prayer in specific can be a great encouragement in truth for them. It encourages me today.

Jonah says: “You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.” And he does not begrudge this natural consequence of sin. He finally woke up and realized that God is sovereign and he is just. The imagery here is one of inescapable and complete death. Do I ever feel like God’s waves and breakers have swept over me?

Then, as a last ditch effort, he looked again to the temple of the Lord and CRIED OUT! He cried out to the God who he gave his life to, but left and abandoned in anger. He petitioned him in his deep hour of despair. And Jonah say, “You, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.”

Now Jonah, at this point, did not have his life put back together. He did not pray a prayer like this: “God if you restore my life and career and the blessings I think I am owed, then I will trust you.” Instead, he just humbly appealed for mercy, recognizing God is good.  This reminds me of the night a year ago when I sat at the kitchen table, having so many things seemingly fall apart in my life. And my wife, my daughter, and I sat and gave thanks to God for his blessings.

As I had lived a few years and seen plenty of challenge in the lives around me, I have found this truth to be consistent: There is a deep heart shift towards God that can never be realized, without everything seemingly being stripped away.

Is God working through this stripping process with you today? He has me. And on the other side there is deeper joy and complete freedom to live lost in his love!

Thank you, Lord! Thank you for stripping everything away. Thank you for opening my eyes to see the wonderful glory of a life fully dependent on you. You always come through, because you always love me.