Jonah 2:9

Praise and thanksgiving open the door to the demonstration of God’s power in our lives. Never is this truth more evident than in the life of Jonah, that headstrong prophet from Jaffa.

When God instructed Jonah to head north and deliver a warning to the city of Nineveh, he sailed straight south instead. Because he hated the Ninevites so much, Jonah took control into his own hands.

When a terrible tempest blew up, Jonah demonstrated his relentless stubbornness. He opted to take a swim rather than submit to the Lord. The sailors threw him overboard, the storm ceased, and Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish.

From the belly of the whale, he cried out to God. Jonah’s sacrifice of thanksgiving won him the opportunity to go do what God had instructed him to do in the beginning. Upon his admission of gratitude, God caused the whale to spit Jonah on the beach.

Jonah quit complaining about the assignment God delegated to him. He stopped trying to comprehend why God would show mercy to a nation that he detested. He determined to trust the One Who gave him the mission.

When Jonah voiced an offering of thanksgiving instead of opposition, revival swept through an entire city. His praise released God’s power!