a fish

This morning while I was praying and reading I went to a verse that a friend mentioned to me last week. It centers around the story of Jonah. Remember how God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to be God's man there for a season, but Jonah hated the people of Nineveh and said no and took off? God wasn't going to let Jonah get way that easy.

So in Jonah 1:17 it says, "But the Lord provided a great fish." It didn't say that God sent, caused, or even ordered a great fish to go swallow Jonah. It said that God provided. I love that.

Even when Jonah was walking away from God, God was not going to walk way from providing for Jonah exactly what he needed. God is committed to being the provider of those who are his, to those who have said yes to his grace.

I am sure that what Jonah wanted in this case was a piece of wood floating by so that he could grab it, float to shore, and continue with life as he planned it. God was committed to helping Jonah, but was committed to provide Jonah what he needed and not what he may have wanted. Sometimes what we need is not in line with want we want, and in those times God will still provided. He will, however, provide what we need and hope it will soon become what we want.

So I am encouraged because I need God to provide some big things this week, and today I was reminded of His relentless commitment to do just that. Now I hope that what I want is in line with what I need.