Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Grace in the belly of the whale

Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit
the grace
that could be theirs.


I just discovered that verse in Jonah, chapter 2 (verse 8). Great chapter, great context. Find it below in full, but do meditate for a while on this verse. Pretty cool! It's seems to be saying that taking our eyes off of Christ can lead to disaster. We have all we need in him, and when we look away... Bamm! We hit the siderails.

BUT when we set aside our idols, his grace is ours!
See verse 9:

Salvation comes from the Lord!

Jonah Chapter Two (NIV) 1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 2 He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. 3 You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 4 I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.' 5 The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God. 7 "When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD." 10 And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.



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