Praying by Precept & ExampleSample

Into the Depths: A Journey from Despair to Redemption

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your own actions have landed you in deep trouble? Perhaps you've disobeyed God, and now you’re feeling hopeless, despondent, and helpless. If you can relate to this, then take this lesson to heart!

Consider the story of Jonah. God sent Jonah to preach to the city of Nineveh, but, like many of us, Jonah had his own ‘bright’ ideas about how he should spend his time. He decided to board a ship headed in the opposite direction, away from God’s command and purpose for his life. Soon, a storm arose.

Often, when we face the consequences of our disobedience, we might think we can tough it out, but nothing truly prepares us for the destruction that comes from doing things apart from God’s will.

In Jonah’s case, the storm led to his shipmates throwing him overboard, leaving him alone with the repercussions of his rebellion. The stark reality of his disobedience was now his to face.

So, what should we do when we find ourselves in a storm of our own making?

Jonah’s story offers hope and guidance for those feeling lost and disillusioned. Let’s see what Jonah did when he was swallowed by the fish.

Jonah 2:1-2 says: "Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, 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."

Here, "hell" is translated from the Hebrew word Sheol, meaning the abode of the dead. For our purposes, we can think of it as "the worst-case scenario."

What did Jonah do in his darkest hour? He turned to God in prayer! This is exactly what you should do as well.

Let’s dive deeper into Jonah’s prayer:

Jonah 2:3-6 "For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God."

Jonah openly talks to God about his dire predicament—a truly sad situation.

Verse 7 is particularly powerful and offers crucial insight for those moments when we feel crushed by our circumstances:

Jonah 2:7 (AMP) "When my soul fainted upon me [crushing me], I earnestly and seriously remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple."

Marvelous! Despite the fact that his disobedience led to his predicament, Jonah had the sense to turn to the Lord. We are never too far gone in our disobedience to receive help from God.

When you’ve messed up badly, turn to God in prayer!

This is similar to what David did when he sinned with Bathsheba—he turned to God in prayer.

Jonah goes on to say in Jonah 2:8 (NIV): "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them."

Jonah acknowledges that the truly hopeless person is the one who places their faith in anything other than God. As believers in Jesus, we are never truly hopeless, even when our own mistakes have led us into the depths of despair.

Let’s continue with Jonah’s story:

Jonah 2:9-10 "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry [land]."

Jonah affirmed God’s faithfulness and His ability to save. He recognized that salvation belongs to the Lord! When we find ourselves in a mess of our own making, when our downfall is self-inflicted, we must remember that salvation is in God’s hands!

And just as Jonah did, we can come out of our predicament and step back into God’s purpose for our lives.

What did Jonah do in his darkest moment? He spoke to God in prayer. He concluded his prayer by declaring his intention to offer thanksgiving and fulfill his vows to God. Jonah envisioned himself overcoming this challenge through God’s salvation, and he came out—just as he had prayed.

The Word of God works, even in the messiest of situations!

When you’re in a place of despair, talk your way out through prayer! God is skilled and experienced in helping the helpless. Speak to Him in prayer and affirm His Word with your confessions!

Talk your way out! Amen!

Action Point: Read 2 Chronicles 14 and 2 Chronicles 20