By Appointment Only

Dear Faith Family,

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah.  And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, (Jonah 1:17). 

Our daughter was a couple of years old when I held her in my arms in the surf at New Mexico Beach, Florida.  What a delight!  The sun.  The sand.  The rolling waves crashing at our waist.  The giant fish.  Wait!  What?  A fish approaching my size in the surf was there, almost within arm’s reach?  And a fin protruding from the top of its back?!  That’s right.  And I’m thinking that it was coming for me!  Maybe? 

Yes…of course I ran out of the water!  Ok.  So apparently it was some kind of dolphin and not a shark.  But I didn’t know it at the time.  It was gray.  It had a fin on top of its back.  And, I had seen the movie, “Jaws”. 

So, here’s my question: are big fish good or bad?  That all depends, you may be thinking.  If you’re on the reel end of a fishing line, a big fish is not only good, but desirable.  But what if you’re on the other end of the line?  What if the big fish is catching you?  That doesn’t sound so good. 

Interestingly, God appointed a big fish for the purpose of catching Jonah!  We know the story, right?  God called Jonah up to Ninevah.  Jonah ran down to Joppa to get away from God’s presence.  Now at this point in the story let’s consider some alternate endings.  God could have let Jonah live out his life in Tarshish thousands of miles away from Ninevah.  He could have let Jonah drown in the sea.  He could have let the big fish digest Jonah.  None of that happened. 

Why not?  Could it be that God actually cared not only for the Ninevites but also for the mariners on a boat from Joppa to Tarshish.  And could it be that God actually cared for Jonah too?  Keep in mind that God didn’t need Jonah’s help to reach the Ninevites.  He did, however, choose Jonah.  To show Jonah His heart.  To include Jonah in what He was doing.  To demonstrate to Jonah His unconditional love. 

Wow!  So, you’re telling me that God can do all the above using a big fish?!  I would call that big fish a good fish.  Are there any big fish in your life?  You know, those fish that look big and scary, like God is simply serving up some sort of punishment.  Or, worse yet, like God doesn’t even care?  Could it be that God has appointed a big fish to show you, His heart.  To include you in what He is doing.  To demonstrate to you His unconditional love…for you. 

Seeing Him,

Pastor Karl