Crying Out

Crying Out

Good morning class.  I am out of town this weekend.  Up at Pisgah for my last youth rally weekend.  It is bitter sweet.  This lesson is beautiful and simple.  I will be praying that God blesses you and the discussion today.  Thanks Robert for teaching!!!!

Question of the Day: 

When is a time in your life or an event where prayer was an integral part.  A story you can't tell without talking about prayer.

Today's Scripture:

Jonah 1:7- 2:10

Jonah’s Prayer

17 Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2 1 [a]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 deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
3 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.
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,[b]
    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, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

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
    turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

So last week we read how Jonah was tossed over board and the sea became calm.  This week starts with God providing a fish to swallow him.  

Some interesting points.

1. God provided the fish.  He could have just miraculously raised Jonah out of the water and deposited him on dry ground, right?  He could have parted the water, or given him an air pocket to stay alive, or just raised him from the dead at the appropriate time.  

What did God use to make this miracle happen?

There is no question that God can make a miracle out of nothing, but he often uses things or people around us.  

Do you find it interesting the time he was in the fish?

This was not a restful 3 days.  

He spent his time....

Crying out!

The rest of this chapter is Jonah crying out to God.  

When does he start crying out to God?

We see a prophet ready to die while on the ship. Unwilling to surrender to God there.  

When does he cry out?

This is his prayer or cry in the belly of the fish, but from his prayer he is recounting.  So perhaps his first cries to God came as he was drifting down into the depths of the sea and about to die, before the fish swallowed him?  He cried out in desperation.

There is always something that drives us to our knees.  Something that causes us to be desperate.  

As you read and discuss it I want you to think about the times you have been crying out to God.  

The times when you have been spiraling down into the depths, with seemingly no hope.

I want you to think about when you maybe have been stuck, or even rescued, but it is in a stinky belly of a fish.  

Have you ever grumbled about how you were rescued?

Maybe, the "fix" isn't good enough?

Can you imagine being in the belly for three days.... those must have been the longest three days of his life.  

What do you think he was struggling with during that time?

What do we learn about where his mind was from his prayer?

Verse 9

What do we see in this verse?

What is Jonah saying?

What is he going to make good?

Where is his heart now in comparison to where his heart was when God asked him to go to Nineveh? 

Who was Jonah?

What kind of relationship did he have with God to have that position?

Yet even this strong man, who was called and set apart, who had conversations with God, who was chosen to hear God speak, still stood there in the boat and was ready to just been thrown over and die. 

The beauty is that Jonah was still being cared for even when he was so bad he was ready to die.  Jonah, in the midst of his despair finally calls out to God and then God delivers him onto the dry land.  

Even this event thought wasn't pretty.  He vomited him up on dry land implies, an extremely gross experience.  Yuk.  Yet it was through that gross experience that he was released.  

Ellen White writes, "With penitence and a recognition of the saving grace of God, came deliverance. Jonah was released from the perils of the mighty deep and was cast upon the dry land."

With penitence and the recognition of the saving grace of God.  Wow what a beautiful statement.  

That is the complete Gospel, right!  The good news, the way to deliverance for all of us!

It isn't more complicated.  It is simple!

If you are struggling to surrender to God today will you prayerfully consider doing this....

Have penitence, say you are sorry, repent.  Confess your stubbornness, or confess what he is calling you to confess and then give recognition of the saving grace of God.  

I am sorry

You are my Savior

Is that really so hard?

If you need deliverance from something, the answer is this.....

I am sorry

You are my Savior

I am sorry

You are my Savior