魚腹中的約拿 (張仕儒牧師)
你有沒有生活遇到瓶頸、覺得生命沒有意義、感到無法掌握生命而夜夜無法入睡那種經驗？許多人都有這種走到人生的谷底、找不到出路的經驗，今天我們要看的先知約拿也同樣經歷了這樣的人生低谷，就讓我們藉由他的故事來看看可以得到什麼樣的啟發。約拿在魚腹中三天三夜，魚腹中的環境一定是很不舒服而且令人感到絕望的。我們知道基督徒一樣會遇到苦難，這並不是因為我們做錯了什麼，而是因為神要我們從苦難中成長，也藉著苦難來試煉我們的信心，讓我們更為強壯。
約拿也讓我們想到浪子的故事，一個離開神又回到神身邊的故事，讓我們從約拿的禱告當中，經由五個步驟來思想如何回到神的面前。
約拿書2:1-9 (和合本)
- 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的神，
- 說：「我遭遇患難求告耶和華，你就應允我。從陰間的深處呼求，你就俯聽我的聲音。
- 你將我投下深淵，就是海的深處，大水環繞我，你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。
- 我說：『我從你眼前雖被驅逐，我仍要仰望你的聖殿！』
- 諸水環繞我，幾乎淹沒我，深淵圍住我，海草纏繞我的頭。
- 我下到山根，地的門將我永遠關住。耶和華我的神啊，你卻將我的性命從坑中救出來。
- 我心在我裡面發昏的時候，我就想念耶和華。我的禱告進入你的聖殿，達到你的面前。
- 那信奉虛無之神的人離棄憐愛他們的主，
- 但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭於你，我所許的願我必償還。救恩出於耶和華！」
Jonah 2:1-9 (NIV)
- From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.
- He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
- You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
- I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
- The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
- To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit.
- “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
- “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
- But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”