Being Encouraged by Chastisement

Lessons from the Fish's Belly

By: Brad Nichols

Jonah 2:1-2

"Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and He heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

I have learned my greatest lessons in the "Fish’s Belly". I should've because that is the point of the lesson, to learn one. When we have reached a point to where God has to intervene in ...a drastic way, or any other way, we had better learn that lesson.

The "Fish's Belly" is good and righteous simply because God is good and God is righteous. We would do well to grasp that Bible truth very early on too. Just remember the "Fish's Belly" is not worse than the path of destruction we pave for ourselves. We need to praise the Lord for making the "Fish's Belly" because He made it to take our attention off of the destruction we created in our life.

I remember one of my times in the "Fish's Belly". Kingsville, Texas. I was down there to play football in college but when I went down there, God took everything from me and made me realize how much I had neglected Him in my life. He, through conviction from good Bible preaching, showed me how much I had destroyed my life and that it was time to put Him first.

If the Lord wants to put you in a "Fish's Belly" He can!! Ye are not your own!!! If you are in a "Fish's Belly" then leave whatever brought there behind you. Do you really believe God wants better for you? Of course He does. So TRUST Him; the Lord is good and wants good for you!