Was it grace that prepared a big fish to swallow Jonah whole making him the first ever submariner or did grace only come into play when the fish spit him out? Put another way, is grace only about the forgiving of our sins or is also helping us see them in the first place? What happens to our understanding of God when we expand our definition of grace to include the whole process, the journey as well as the destination? What kind of God has us swallowed by big fish?

I would suggest that it is a God who truly loves us. It is not His will that anyone would perish. It is His will that everyone would receive eternal life. Jesus Christ came to redeem the whole world and the price he paid was for the whole word. God is willing to allow us to encounter trouble, pain, difficulty, and even terror in order for us to see the need for His grace. He is willing to do what ever it takes to break the illusion and defeat the lie that we all to often hold onto, that we control the universe, that we do not need God.

Coming to our senses is the moment we recognize our need for His grace and we cry out. Hopefully that is way before we see the teeth.

This week we will look at grace from inside the fish. Hope to see you at church.

Pastor Chris