What To Do When Swallowed Up By Life

 Jonah 1:17 - "…And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights."  NASU 

• Ask Yourself The Hard Questions 

Are you in your present situation because of your own carelessness or disobedience to God?
 
The reason Jonah was swallowed by a great fish was his disobedience to God.
 
Jonah 1:1-3 - The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
 
God wanted Jonah to go to Tarshish and preach and Jonah wanted no part of that assignment. He didn't want to do what God wanted him to do. Plain and Simple!
 
Are you in your present situation because you haven't done what God has asked you to do? You must answer this question truthfully. Are you in your present situation because you have disobeyed God? 

• Do This If You Answered Yes 

Jonah 2:1-5
Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the stomach of the fish, 2 and he said,
 
"I called out of my distress to the LORD,
And He answered me.
I cried for help from the depth of Sheol;
You heard my voice.
3 "For You had cast me into the deep,
Into the heart of the seas,
And the current engulfed me.
All Your breakers and billows passed over me.
4 "So I said, 'I have been expelled from Your sight.
Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.'
 
PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
 
When Jonah was in distress he called out to the LORD, and the LORD answered him. Be open and honest with the Lord. Tell Him you have messed up and would like another chance to correct this situation.
 
God is a loving and forgiving God. All great parents love their children and sometimes we have to correct them. God is correcting Jonah's actions of disobedience. Exactly the way parents correct their children's acts of disobedience.
 
Now I don't believe in child abuse, but I can tell you I had my butt beat numerous times by both of my parents when I was younger. I may not have enjoyed it at the time, but as I sit here and write this Pump Up I know I was spanked because my parents loved me.
 
Jonah was in the belly of a great fish because God loved him and God loved the people of Nineveh. God wanted the people of Nineveh to have the opportunity to repent of their sinfulness and this is exactly what they did once Jonah went there and preached to them. 
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• Conclusion 

Do what God wants and you may find yourself avoiding being swallowed up by life.
 
If you are doing what God wants and you still find yourself swallowed up by life then there is only one possible conclusion. You are being attacked by the evil one for living a life according to God's Word.
 
You endure this attack and God will give you the victory.
 
Think About This:
 
A good example has twice the value of good advice.
 
God's main problem with the laborers in His vineyard is absenteeism.
 
Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Go To  www.SeragosPumpUps.com