Week 49 Bible Reading: Jonah 1:1–2:2

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.” - Jonah 2:1–2

Have you ever taken a wrong turn? A runner in a half marathon missed her turn, accidently running twenty-six miles—a whole marathon! Not only did she run thirteen extra miles, but she also ran it fast. Fast enough, in fact, to qualify for one of the most famous marathons in the world, the Boston Marathon. Pretty cool, right?

In the Bible, there’s a story about a prophet who took a wrong turn, but his was on purpose. When God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh, Jonah hopped onto a boat heading the opposite direction.

Amazingly, Jonah thought he could run away from God (considering God sees and knows everything, you may think his plan a bit silly!). When his plan landed him in the belly of a fish, Jonah gave up running. He cried out for help, and God rescued Him.

God hears us, too, when we cry out to Him after we’ve been on the run. If you’ve gone the wrong way through an unwise choice, stop. Ask for God’s forgiveness. He’ll get you back on the right track.