Deep Thoughts

Probably none of us will ever have the experience of approaching God from inside a big fish. Many of us, however, do know what it is like to come to God from very dark places. Often, our darkness has arisen because of physical, emotional, or circumstantial pressures, no matter whether we ourselves are in some way to blame for the situation we’re in, or not. 

Jonah’s prayer expresses the confusion that many feel in such circumstances. He knows that God is with him, hearing and answering; yet he feels “banished” (4) and separated from God. He has a sense of hopelessness, and everything is just too much to bear. Still, intertwined in his outpourings is hope for the future. God can and will bring him back from death to life, The predictive past is used within the poem to indicate that, although it might not have actually happened, yet it is so sure that it can be spoken of as in the past: God has “brought my life up from the pit” (6). 

Just as for David in Psalm 7, Jonah knows looking to God and remembering who God is will enable him to cope with the situation he finds himself in. Because God is God–the poem does not expand too much on this, but the book as a whole pushes us to remember, in particular, that God is merciful–Jonah can keep on serving him and trusting him. There is no request made for removal of the darkness, but there is a sense that in spite of the darkness, Jonah is still able to function as God’s servant. God, in his great mercy, brings him up out of the darkness.

If you are, or remember being, in a dark place, write a prayer expressing your own feelings and confusion, recognizing who God is and confirming your desire to serve him.