Repentance And Deliverance Through Thankfulness
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly…When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
Thankfulness has its own power. When you are thankful, the atmosphere that wraps around you is light and heavenly, and you feel your mind and body are functioning at their best. What is in gratefulness that is so powerful? What does the Bible tell us about being thankful?
There are many characters in the Bible who were thankful in their own ways, and these characters were greatly used by God to display His glory and power. Jesus Christ was one of the greatest examples in the Bible to show us what it’s like to be thankful to God every day. You can read in Matthew 14:17-21 that Jesus and his disciples were short of loaves and fishes to feed five thousand people, yet Jesus simply thanked the Father for what they had and blessed the food. Afterward, the five loaves and two fishes multiplied so that everyone was filled, and there were still twelve left-over baskets that were full.
The Apostle Paul also showed us a lifestyle of thanksgiving no matter the situation. In Acts 27:35-36, he thanked God for the food despite knowing that their ship was about to sink. Because of what he did, he was able to encourage everyone—have all the men eat and bring back their strength.
Other than the miracles and the breakthrough experience of being thankful at all times, there was one character in the Bible who had a life that is relatable in every way. He is Jonah, the prophet famous for running away from God because he didn’t want to do what God wanted him to do. He hated the people of Nineveh, but God wanted him to go there to warn them. As a result of his disobedience, he suffered the consequences and was eaten by a large fish. He stayed inside the fish’s belly for three days, and there he was able to reflect on his attitude and realize the goodness and mercy of God:
“Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly…When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD” (Jonah 2:1,7-9).
As Jonah became thankful to God, it changed the way he thought and perceived things. Repentance came into Jonah’s life when he became thankful for the salvation of the LORD. Thankfulness can make you see things clearly, as it did for Jonah.
Rather than focus on the things you dislike, the things that irritate or anger you, begin to thank God for Who He is and for what He has done. This renews your soul and the way you think. You start to appreciate life more and forget about what’s hurting you, what angers you, and the things that you hate. What has been eating you for the past few days, weeks, months, or even years will spit you out, just as the big fish that swallowed Jonah did. (“And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” Jonah 2:10). Sacrificing to God by giving Him thanks and praise will bring about repentance and deliverance in your life.
