Sometimes it takes hitting rock bottom, or in Jonah's case, the belly of a great fish, to finally get our attention. Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindahl unpacks one of Scripture's most dramatic examples. Jonah, the rebellious prophet, was tossed into a raging sea and left for dead. At his lowest moment, Jonah prayed.
So are there any regretful memories holding you back? Woven into this story, Chuck will remind us that prayer is our most underutilized superpower. If you've ever felt too far gone, too stubborn, or too broken to approach God. This message is for you. It's amazing what being at sea.
Especially a rough deep sea. will do to your prayer life. It's amazing.
So, when we get to this second chapter, and we began with that. Long awaited word. Then Bram. Jodah prayed. Then.
Finally. He hasn't prayed until now. We first met him in chapter one. He wasn't praying in any part of that. When God said, Go to Nineveh, he responded with such words as, Would imply in your face, God.
He didn't pray about that response. When he made his way to Joppa, he didn't pray about what would happen at Joppa. When you look for a ship that might be Sailing From the shore, he didn't pray about which ship. When he bought the one-way ticket, he didn't pray before he bought the ticket. You read nothing of prayer.
We've been waiting for this preacher to respond willingly and obediently to his Lord, but he's done the antithesis. Not going there, God. There's no way. And even when he is on that ship, and awaken in the middle of that dreadful storm that's Beginning to rip that little ship apart. He doesn't pray.
He doesn't even say to the sailors, we need to pray. He is willfully disconnected from his God. And this is an appropriate place for me to tell you something. lest you forget it. Even a preacher can live a prayerless life.
We can operate in the flesh. Worse than the worst. We can make big decisions and carry out big plans and. talk a big fight and That night, sleep like a baby. All the while faking it.
Acting as though God is in it. When we haven't once engaged him in prayer.
Sometime it takes Being thrown into a stormy C. to shake a preacher awake. We can be so stubborn. Example, Jonah. Then Finally.
Show the parade. It took all of those things I've named. That we've read about in chapter 1 to bring him to his knees. As he is thrown into the sea, Fully clothed. As the cold waters of the Mediterranean Submerge him, and he now is on his way.
Plunging to the bottom. with the seaweed wrapped around his head, Along comes a fish. large enough to swallow him. That rescues him, having been sent thereby. God.
In application of this clear realization. Let me add, we're free to pray anywhere. Think about it. He prayed from in a fish. You can pray from a tiny hiding place.
with the boots of the soldiers heard nearby. And those prayers are effective. You can pray in a plane. It's having engine trouble and it's halfway across the ocean. Or perhaps The dark of night flying over a mountainous area, you pray.
You pray. You can pray before your oral exam. Having finished your degree work, let's say a PhD. And you're sitting out there about to face these scholars who will be interviewing you, you pray. I hardly need to tell you that.
How valuable it is that we call on God. For whatever May be our need.
Now what caused Jonah? To pray. We read that he prayed. From inside the fish in verse 1. When you read on, you will see what prompted him to pray.
So follow it out. Read the narrative. I cried out to the Lord. in my great trouble. There's reason number one.
He was in great need. No doubt his life had passed before him, and he ran through all of those carnal acts and realized how stupid he had been in his trying to run away from an omnipresent God. Absolutely impossible. He's also in a terrible place. How dreadful it must have been.
We cannot even imagine what that was like. That's where he cried out. Anytime you were in great trouble, prayer fits. You hear the bump in the night and you live alone. You may be in great trouble.
You hear rustling and voices in the hallway of your apartment. And they could Get to your door. You pray. For your safety. and the safety of those others in that apartment house.
He's in great trouble, so he cries out. And we read, and he answered me. He didn't hold Jonah on probation for hours and hours and hours and hours before he answered. God doesn't do that. He doesn't torture us.
Even though we have run from him, he is there ready to answer. And Jonah says, I call to you from the land of the dead.
So he has had a near-death experience. And Lord, you heard me. In fact, you threw me into the ocean depths. Isn't that interesting? When you pray, you get the right perspective.
We thought the sailors threw him.
Now Jonah realized that the Lord was in it all. He wanted me in the deep. The only place I would come to my senses was when the waves poured over me. The howling winds had their way. in my life and Over the deck I went, over the railing, into the water.
You threw me over. It was all about what you were doing. His life is passing before him. I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me.
I was buried beneath your wild and stormy winds. Look at this. Your wild and stormy winds. It's not just the result of nature. You blew those whims over the waters.
You increased the size of the waves. You were the one. Who sent the hounds of heaven after me? I see it all, God. I acknowledge it all.
And I call upon you. I see it now so clearly. Uh it His whole life passes before him. I said, oh Lord, you've driven me from your presence, yet I will look once more toward your holy temple. Verse 5, I sank beneath the waves and the waters closed over me.
Look at this. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots. Of the mountains, meaning the bottom of the sea. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord, my God, Snatched me from the jaws of death. That's the fish. I realize, Lord, that this isn't a punishment. This is a rescue. As uncomfortable and dreadful as this situation is, You saved my life.
I say that to you, God, because I want to acknowledge that you are the one who snatches someone from the jaws of death. These are powerful words. stated by Jonah and recorded here. End of verse 6. My life was slipping away.
And I remembered the Lord. I love that. My life was slipping away. And I called on God. In fact, if you go to verse 9, He says, I will offer sacrifices to you.
with songs of praise. I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation, my deliverance, my release. from death comes from the Lord. alone.
Only God could have done what you have done. Between eighteen thirty four and eighteen ninety two. There lived, in my opinion, the greatest preacher. that London ever heard. Died before he turned 60.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon's sermons still being printed. Prolific mind and and heart. Spurgeon writes of this Great statement. Salvation. comes from the Lord alone.
Listen. To Spurgeon's words from his work, the treasury of the Old Testament. And I quote. Jonah learned this sentence. of good theology in a strange college.
He learned it in the fish's belly. At the bottom of the mountains where the weeds wrapped around his head. Most of the grand truths of God, writes Spurgeon. have to be learned by trouble. They must be burned into us.
with the hot iron of affliction. Otherwise, we shall not truly Receive them. Close quote. Did you hear it? The hot iron.
of affliction. The solemnist writes of that Not until I was afflicted. Did I turn to the Lord? Afflicted, broken. Deeply humbled.
I called on him. And I state, I will fulfill my vows. Wherever you want me to go, I'm going. I promised you when I became a prophet, I would serve you. I will now serve you, O God.
I will fulfill my vows. All of my vows, I will fulfill, Lord. No more arguing, no more escaping. I'm yours, I'm yours. Salvation is of the Lord, and that is what the Lord was waiting to hear.
So how did he respond? Look. Verse 10, the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah Output transcript. onto the beach. Chapter 3.
Then the Lord. Spoke to Jonah a second time. There's grace written all over. that first verse of chapter three. We'll get there next time.
The God of the second chance. No, when he heard him say, I'll fulfill my vows. My salvation is from the Lord alone. That's all God needed to hear. The rescue of the fish had done its best work.
Jonah is now broken to the point of total submission. And the Lord says to his fish, That's enough. Get near the shore. Throw him up. And that's exactly what happened.
Anyone who has been lost at sea and is rescued will tell you: nothing feels better than solid, dry land beneath your feet. Often, people after being rescued at sea will. Kiss the dirt. on which they walked, that shoreline. Because it is Dry land.
And Jonah must have been a mess. After coming out of that strangest of all prayer chapels. He must have looked really weird. Gastric juices of that faces. perhaps bleached part of his body.
Maybe taking some of his hair, maybe all of it. And then the Lord speaks to him. And Jonah's ready to go. God now has an available vessel. Because God doesn't give up.
When he searches for his messenger. When you pray, I want you to remember this. I've written it down so I wouldn't Forget it. are misstated. When you pray, remember this.
No matter what you have done. In spite of how far you have run. No matter how wrong you have been. Regardless of how long You have wandered. When you pray, God We'll hear you.
God will forgive you. God will accept you. God will change you. And God will use you. Remember that.
When you pray. Because the enemy wants you to think in your wandering state I am too far gone. Chuck, if you knew all the things in my past, that, you know what? No matter what you tell me, none of my comment would change. Because I have a God.
Who represents the truth where sin abounds, grace super. abounds. There is no pit so deep but that he is not. deeper still. said Betsy.
before she died in that concentration camp. in the arms of Corey. her sister. I don't know where you are today. I don't know.
Why it is that God fits messages for certain days, but I know this. This is the message.
Some of you needed to hear. The message. If you never hear another. You're like the man who wrote I'd walk lots of way with an easy tread. I'd traveled where pleasures and comfort led.
Until one day, in a quiet place, I met the Master face to face. I'd built my castles and reared them high till their towers had pierced the blue of the sky. I'd sworn to win. This life's mad race. When I met the master Face to face.
I met him. And I knew him. And I blushed to see that his eyes full of sorrow, were fixed upon me. While my castles melted and vanished away, nothing else could I see. But my master's face.
My thoughts are now for the souls of men. I've lost my life to find it again. Ever since that day in the quiet place And I met the master Face to face. This is your quiet place. This is your quiet place.
Let's take advantage of it. Bow your heads. Please don't move about. Please sit quietly. Search your heart.
Are you in the middle of an escape from God? Running fast and furiously. Are you in the middle of a storm? And it won't quiet down. Have you come to an end of yourself?
Just an end of yourself. You're in the quiet place right now. The place God has brought you. to break you to bend your knee. before him.
You may be one of his children and been running. Far, far away. Even though you know better. You may have never met the master. You've heard of him, but You and he have never been on speaking terms.
Well, today's the day. That's why you came. And that's why you're here. You had no idea that this would be said today and suddenly you see your life passing before you. And you know you're lost.
If you drew your last breath this evening. Are you absolutely certain? That when you breathe again, because there is life after earthly death. that you would breathe heavenly air? Or is your answer?
I don't think so. Or maybe I'm not sure. Whichever You can be sure. Jesus promised He who has the Son has the life. But the one who does not have the Son of God does not have.
The wife. Yeah. Pretty narrow. That's the only way that there could be a mark of demarcation. Otherwise, we would spend all our time rattling around in the Unending world of indecision.
You're either saved or lost. You're either in the Lord or you are not in His family. You were either born again. or you have simply been born onto this earth. You know Christ?
or you don't know Christ. There is one God. and one go-between. Between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. What you do with Christ.
has everything to do with your next breath after you die. Wouldn't you like to know Christ? In such an absolutely sure way that You never again Never again need you wonder about it. Today could be the turning point. I invite you to the Master.
Come to his cross. Trust in his death on your behalf. For he paid the penalty for your sins. Accept the gift God offers you. You will have eternal life.
Just like that. We would love to help you as you make your journey. For the rest of your days on this earth. We'd like to help you know how to get into the scriptures for yourself. How to walk in the Spirit.
How to know what it means to really Be a person of prayer. How to live in peace? How to endure hardship? How to face the future that's uncertain. But you've got to know Christ.
It's your move. Trust him now. Take him as your Savior. Dear Father, we are grateful that we have just hurt a man. acknowledge that he He will offer his sacrifices to you with songs of praise.
He will now fulfill his vows. For he realizes that salvation comes only from you. I pray for those who are uncertain. those who have never trusted in the Saviour, that they will turn to you now. and trust in your son.
for eternal life. Receive them, Father, and give them the sense of peace. that they lack. How grateful we are for that. Marvelous.
Grace of God that accepts us. when we turn to you. Just as we are. In the name of Jesus. We thank you.
for speaking to us this day. And we bring before you those who are trusting in your Son right now. for salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Everyone said.
Amen. This is Insight for Living. Chuck Swindoll titled Today's Message: Finally, Jonah Connects the Dots. It's the fourth study in a nine-part series on Jonah's life. To purchase the collection of audio C D s, give us a call right now at eight hundred seven seven two eighty eight eighty eight, or go to insight dot org slash offer.
You might not know this, but you have full access to more than 1,000 messages from Chuck Swindall when you download the convenient Insight mobile app. There's no cost to hear these audio files. They're our gift to you and countless others who want to benefit from the timeless wisdom of the Bible. Just look for the full Sermons tab for all the messages. Today we'd like to send you a brand new booklet from Insight for Living called Look Beyond.
It features the final sermon that Chuck delivered to the church that he founded. His message was delivered on the weekend of his 90th birthday. Chuck cited the powerful counsel that Paul offered to his young protégé, Timothy. Paul charged Timothy to see beyond his circumstances and to walk boldly into the future with eternity in mind. We'd like to share this stirring message with you.
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I'm Bill Meyer. Don't miss Chuck Swindahl's message about the God of the Second Chance. Tomorrow on Insight for Living. The preceding message. Finally, Jonah connects the dots.
was copyrighted in 2018, 2019, and 2025. And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindahl Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
