Scripture: Jonah 2:3-10 You hurled me into the depths,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.
I said, ‘I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.’
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.
“When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.
“Those who cling to worthless idols
turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Devotion: Today’s Scripture is a prayer that Jonah prayed straight from the belly of the fish. While he told the sailors to throw him into the sea, he still prayed a prayer of deliverance, which the Lord answered. This prayer is then a prayer of thanksgiving for the Lord rescuing him. But today, I want to spend a little time on the declaration that he makes at the end of his prayer, “Salvation comes from the Lord.”
Thankfully, we know and can have confidence in the fact that we have nothing to do with our own salvation. We know that it is by grace alone, through faith in Jesus, that we are saved. But how often do we really stop to think about the magnitude of that statement? Not only do we find salvation in Jesus, but that very redemption was a part of God’s plan from the beginning. Ever since sin entered the world, God had a plan to redeem His creation. He is the one who planned our salvation. He is also the one that brings about salvation through His Son, Jesus. And through the Holy Spirit, we are able to believe in the finished work of the cross.
All of it stems from God. “The Lord’s great power enables him to deliver us, and his great mercy lead him to do so” (Jay Sklar, The Gospel Coalition). He could not have executed the plan of salvation without being all-powerful, all-merciful, all-just, and all-knowing (and that list goes on and on). He is perfect. That means that everything that comes from His is perfect. That means that the plan of salvation, that was there at the very beginning of time, was perfectly executed. And through God’s graciousness, that salvation is offered to each of us.
There is so much that actually goes into the plan of redemption, but for us, it is simple: when we admit that we are sinners, believe that Jesus died for our sins, and commit our lives to Him, salvation is ours forevermore. Praise Jesus.
Reflect:
- How often do you reflect on God’s plan of redemption before He sent Jesus?
- Take some time to praise God for the gift of salvation and eternal life in Him!