ONLINE CHURCH BULLETIN

IN THE DARK BELLY

Jonah 2
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. 

Leon Sanderson recently spoke about Jonah's outlook from within the belly of the fish. When you feel that you are in a "dark belly," recall the response of Jonah. Our outlook can become the upward look of faith.  When we see nothing with our physical eyes to give us hope, when we think only about our Father and our relationship to Him we can prepare for a deliverance by His love, grace and power.

Father, we are so grateful for our faith and hope in Christ that sustain us while we are in dark and lonely places. We are grateful that He came forth from the grave as Jonah came forth from the fish. May we always be looking up to You, dear Father, and always aware of the supreme importance of our relationship with You. Give us the victory through Christ. Help those who are hurting. We ask this in the name of Christ, the Beloved. Amen.

1 John 5.14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Only God can know HOW our prayers WORK but we believe HE answers. Please write me to add names to the prayer list and to report changes in status. 

Let us be thankful and prayerful!

Love
Brad Forgy