Goodness Gracious: 14 Unfiltered Devotions for This Sometimes-Too-Serious LifeSample

Praying for a Whale

In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me. JONAH 2:2

We recently took a trip to Mexico. The locals told us it was whale season, and I really wanted that Free Willy moment. I wanted to see a whale do some sort of dramatic full-body leap complete with an upside-down belly flop landing. The likelihood was there, but the chances of catching a powerfully cinematic moment on camera was less likely.

The next day, while recovering from a stupid and very preventable sunburn, I decided to pray for it. I pulled out my phone and said, “Lord, let me see a whale. Let me see a humongous, massive whale just jump right in front of me. Let me see a big ol’…”

And then boom—it happened. The most beautiful whale shot up nose-first, did a half spin in the air, and landed with a grand slam splash finale. It was such a cool God-moment for me, but I also thought, “Goodness gracious, I can’t imagine being stuck inside one of those like Jonah.” Right then, the Holy Spirit reminded me that, actually, I have. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Many times, in the midst of my own rebellion, God would allow desperate circumstances to swallow me whole in order to pull me toward obedience. He loved me enough to send whales (or trials) to draw me to my knees in humility. As painful as those lessons were, it was actually God’s grace for me in action.

Maybe you’re praying for a whale. Maybe you simply want to experience His majesty in a personal and intimate way. Or maybe you’ve been in a bad place and have found yourself in the depths of a dark and stinky situation. Either way, the wonderful thing about God is He knows exactly what kind of whale you need. Whether He sends a blessing or a lesson, God’s intentions toward you are always good. He longs for you to seek Him, to keep a pure heart, and to live a life that is pleasing unto Him.

God, send me a whale. Whatever You think I need, I trust You. Thank You for the blessings and thank You for Your grace in the midst of the lessons. Amen.