Vomit to Victory

He ran away. Like a child who's not getting his way he took off. He didn't try to justify it or sugar coat it, he simply set out in the opposite direction of his assignment. Determined to do what he wanted to do and not what he was being told to do. He hitched a ride with some strangers and simply ran away. He had no idea what was about to happen or how impactful his story would become. 

Flash forward to a time of brokenness and despair. Giving up and giving in, he agrees to do as he had been asked. Now alone, smelly and much farther away than he had been, he begins a journey to complete the task that he had been ordained to complete. With expectations of failure he would soon find success greater than he could fathom that would touch the world for all of eternity as he accomplished a God-given task that he desperately did not want to see through.

Have you ever had someone vomit on you? Or even been near the vomit of another person or animal? It’s not exactly a pleasant odor or view. I could share stories here but instead I’ll simply state that it’s quite gross and takes away ones desire to continue on with whatever task might have been in process prior to the vile act.

Jonah had just made a deathbed confession to God. He was afraid for his life and He promised God that he would do whatever God asked him to do. We’ve all made those promises to God during difficult or scary times, but how often do we carry them out? How easily do we find excuses, after those promises, to do something different? But here he is lying on a beach, covered in whale vomit and what does he do? He travels to Nineveh and preaches the message that God tells him to preach. Is he happy about it? No way! But he does it.

He hoped that the message of doom would bring an end to his enemies but instead the people of Nineveh repented and God spared them. Now here we are many centuries later still talking about a man named Jonah and a city named Nineveh. Why? Because Jonah was obedient to what God asked.

Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22. “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) It seems that this obedience thing is pretty important to God. All of us have disobeyed at some point. All of us have run from what we knew to be God’s direction. Like Jonah, we are often given a second chance. The question is, will it take vomit to bring victory or will we listen to the still small voice that is speaking to guide us to what is best? Let’s not wait for the vomit, let’s race to the victory through the power of God as He guides and equips us. With Obedience to God comes the Blessings of God!

Jonah 2:7-10

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.