225. We cried out to the Lord: I groaned, I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.

3 December 2021

We cried out to the Lord.

Deuteronomy 26

 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.

Psalm 77

1 I cried out to God for help;

    I cried out to God to hear me.

3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.

When I was about to post the above verses on fb earlier, I checked fb add music option and came upon the song "Jonah's Prayer by Asaph Tunes".

The prayer of Jonah the prophet.

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 

He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,

    and he answered me.

I called to you from the land of the dead,

    and Lord, you heard me!

You threw me into the ocean depths,

    and I sank down to the heart of the sea.

The mighty waters engulfed me;

    I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.

Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.

    Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

I sank beneath the waves,

    and the waters closed over me.

    Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.

I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.

    I was imprisoned in the earth,

    whose gates lock shut forever.

But you, O Lord my God,

    snatched me from the jaws of death!

As my life was slipping away,

    I remembered the Lord.

And my earnest prayer went out to you

    in your holy Temple.

Those who worship false gods

    turn their backs on all God’s mercies.

But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,

    and I will fulfill all my vows.

    For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. Jonah 2 NLT

"The book of Jonah is the story of the sovereignty of God. Sovereignty means that God is ultimately in control of, well - everything.

God did not reject Jonah because he disobeyed; in fact, he patiently kept pursuing him and protecting him until he had a change of heart.

The Bible says; “Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (1:17) It is in this predicament that Jonah prayed his great prayer." From hannahscupboard website/jonah-prayer/

We, my wife, our children and I were once in the "belly of a fish". We cried out to the Lord.

It was a long period of seclusion. I had no stable employment, my wife had to earn with her baking, and my children had to stay with relatives when they started going to college in Quezon City while we were in Lipa.

I shied away from family and friends, I was in disgrace, I sank into depression.

I cried out to the Lord, I prayed for Him to hear me, and I groaned; I meditated, and my spirit grew faint. I thought my ordeal will be for eternity.

That was more than 17 years ago, the Lord heard my prayer, "the Lord ordered the fish to spit me and my family out onto the beach".

Yet this I call to mind

    and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-23

""I cried out to God for help;

    I cried out to God to hear me.

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;

    at night I stretched out untiring hands,

    and I would not be comforted.

I remembered you, God, and I groaned;

    I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.

I thought about the former days,

    the years of long ago;

I remembered my songs in the night.

    My heart meditated and my spirit asked:

“Will the Lord reject forever?

    Will he never show his favor again?

Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:

    the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;

    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will consider all your works

    and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Your ways, God, are holy.

    What god is as great as our God?" (Psalm 77:1-3, 5-7, 10-13). Lord, Almighty God, there is no one like You, with praises and thanksgiving, this I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

23 February 2018"

May you be blessed with God's Word.

Maraming salamat.