The Storm That Saves - March 12, 2025
Scripture:
”The Lord caused a big fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights."
— Jonah 1:17 (EASY)
Devotional:
Sometimes, the hardest moments in life such as the storms, the pain, the uncertainty, are not meant to destroy us, but to save us. God sent a storm after Jonah, not to harm him, but to bring him back to the place he was meant to be. When the sailors threw him overboard, Jonah probably thought it was the end. But God had already prepared his rescue, and not in the way Jonah expected, but exactly in the way he needed. The great fish was not Jonah’s punishment; it was his salvation. It was in that dark, isolated place that Jonah came to repentance and truly understood the mercy of God. And that’s what storms often do in our lives. They strip away distractions, humble us, and remind us of who God is. Jesus Himself referenced Jonah’s three days in the fish as a sign of His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:40). Just like Jonah, Jesus went into the depths, but He came out victorious, bringing salvation to the world.
So that fear doesn't take over while you're being afflicted, remind yourself that any storm God sends is the storm that saves, not destroys. Jonah thought the storm and the great fish were his end, but they were actually his new beginning. God is intentional and He doesn’t send storms to ruin you, but to redirect you.
Maybe you’re facing a storm right now. Maybe it feels like God has swallowed you up in a situation that you don’t understand. But what if this storm isn’t meant to break you, but to save you? What if this is the moment God is using to bring you closer to Him, to fulfill the promise He spoke over your life? The pain may feel unbearable. The isolation may seem endless. The fear may whisper that you won’t make it. But God is not trying to destroy you. He is saving you. His grace and mercy are at work, even when you can’t see it.
Reflection/Challenge:
What storms in your life have actually led you closer to God?
How can you trust that even in hardship, God is still working for your good?
What is something you need to surrender to God in this season?
Prayer:
Father, thank You for being in control of every storm in my life. Even when it hurts, even when I don’t understand, I trust that You are working all things together for my good. Help me to see Your mercy even in my trials, and give me the strength to surrender to Your will. Let my heart rest in the truth that any storm You send is not meant to destroy me, but to save me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.