Devotion based on Week 4 of “The Prophets” – Jonah (WATCH HERE)
“Salvation comes from the Lord.” — Jonah 2:9b
Have you ever hit rock bottom? That place where all your strength is gone, your plans have crumbled, and you have nothing left to cling to? Jonah knew that place well. In Jonah 2, we find him in the belly of a great fish, a dark, isolated, and suffocating place. Jonah hit bottom. But spiritually, it became a turning point. It was there, in the depths of despair, that Jonah cried out to God. And it’s there we begin to understand that sometimes God allows the pit so He can bring us back to Himself.
Jonah wasn’t just running from Nineveh. He was running from God. The Lord had given him a command, and Jonah chose disobedience. But God loved Jonah too much to let him continue down that path. So He pursued him not with wrath, but with mercy.
That mercy came in the form of a storm and a fish.
Jonah 2 is a prayer offered from the belly of the fish. It is a cry of desperation, a confession of weakness, and, most importantly, a declaration of truth: “Salvation comes from the LORD” (v. 9). In other words, Jonah realized he could not save himself. He had no way out. His intellect, his effort, his escape plan—none of it worked. Only God could rescue him.
This is often how God works. He brings us to the end of ourselves so that we might find the beginning of His grace. The “pit” may not be a fish’s belly for us, but it might be a season of failure, broken relationships, financial ruin, or emotional exhaustion. These dark valleys are not signs that God has abandoned us, rather they are often signs that He is drawing us back.
In verse 2, Jonah says, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.” Isn’t that amazing? Even in rebellion, God listens. Even when we’ve run far, His ear is not closed to our cries. Jonah was disobedient, but he wasn’t beyond God’s reach. That is good news for all of us.
What’s more, Jonah acknowledges God’s sovereignty over his situation. In verse 3, he says, “You hurled me into the depths… all Your waves and breakers swept over me.” Jonah sees that this wasn’t random. God was at work through discipline to bring Jonah to repentance.
The most pivotal moment comes in verse 6:
“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’s rescue wasn’t just physical, it was spiritual. He didn’t just need to be pulled out of the fish; he needed to be pulled out of his pride, his self-righteousness, and his self-reliance. And when he confessed, “Salvation comes from the Lord,” he was finally where God wanted him: humble, surrendered, and dependent.
Wherever you are today, whether in a storm, in a pit, or on solid ground, remember this truth: God’s mercy reaches deeper than your lowest point. He may allow the pit, but He doesn’t abandon you in it. Instead, He uses it to draw you back to Himself.
Remember salvation, deliverance, comes from the LORD!
Apply: Have you ever experienced a “pit” moment in life? How did God meet you there?
Prayer: Lord, thank You that Your mercy meets me even in the deepest places. Thank You for not abandoning me in the pit, but using it to bring me back to You. I confess that I need You. I cannot save myself. Help me to turn from my own way and trust fully in Your salvation. Amen.