Thursday June 22, 2023

Today is Thursday, June 22 and we are studying what the Bible says about God our Help.

As I enter this time of prayer, I pause and become still. I slow my breathing and focus myself on the God who loves me – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Pause and Pray

Holy and loving God, guide me on this pilgrim journey. Make me attentive to your ways, teach me your will, strengthen my steps and lift my spirits as I travel this day with you. Amen.

I turn to the Lord my God and praise him with the words of Psalm 46.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

Pause and Pray

The central theme of God’s love is the theme of “rescue.” Our God is a rescuing God and the Biblical story illustrates God’s great rescue plan for humanity. The Old Testament story of Jonah is a rescue story. Jonah hops a ship to run away from God. He directly disobeys and tries to get as far away as possible. A tremendous storm arises at sea and Jonah goes down into the hold of the ship to sleep. The pagan sailors decide to lighten the load of the ship and choose to throw the holy prophet overboard. Jonah sinks down, down into the depths of the ocean. Being swallowed alive by a large sea creature seems a terrible fate, but the huge fish actually rescued Jonah. From the belly of the whale, Jonah prays.

Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 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. The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 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.” Jonah 1:17-2:2,5-6

The narrative of Jonah is a series of descents. Jonah goes down to Joppa, down to the seashore, down into the ship and down into the depths of the ocean. Deep in the heart of the sea, deep in the realm of the dead, he calls for help. Jonah waits to pray until he is already in the belly of the whale. By then, God is already in the action of rescuing Jonah. He saves him from the land of the dead and gives him another chance at life. Just as the whale saved Jonah, God saves me. When my life feels like a series of descents, when things in life wrap around me like weeds in the water and pull me down, down, down, God rescues me.

Ask: What is it that is pulling me down, down, down? Have I turned to God in prayer?

Pause and Pray

Lord, you are holy and mighty. I turn to you with my concerns knowing that you will answer me. I call for help, confident that you listen to my cry. I consider the things in my life that threaten me – the deep that surrounds me, the seaweed wrapped around my head, and whatever pulls me down. Bring my life up from the pit! I read the words from Jonah again and listen for the message you have for me.

Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 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. The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. 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.” Jonah 1:17-2:2,5-6

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

In the book of Matthew Jesus refers to Jonah as an analogy of his own suffering and death (Matthew 12:38-40). He predicts that he will be in the earth for three days and three nights. Jonah’s three day sojourn in the sea monster was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ visit to the realm of the dead from which he was resurrected. What dies when I go down, down, down into the watery depths of the pit is my sin. What is rescued by the big fish is the rescue of my soul. I am scooped up and saved. Saved from sin and death by Jesus my Savior. My feet are set back on solid ground and I have a new beginning. I have a rescuing God and God is in the rescue business.

Pause and Pray

Lord God, thank you for your great rescue plan that includes the salvation of my soul. Come and set me free from everything that binds me, from the sin that clings so closely, from the sorrow that drags me down, and the remorse that haunts me. Bring my life up from the pit. Grant me salvation in the name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:9-10

I leave this time of prayer rescued by God’s relentless grace. I go to share the love and grace of Jesus with a lost and broken world.

Amen