You Call That Provision?

The story of Jonah (like the rest of the Bible) is more about God than about Jonah. And the message of the whole story is really that we're all Ninevites. We'll get to talking about that more in the coming days, but I don't want to rush past the whole Jonah in the belly of the fish part.

The text says that God "provided" a fish to swallow Jonah.

Provided?

That seems odd to call that provision. We usually associate the provision of God with something really fun. God provided food in the midst of famine. God provided money in the midst of poverty. God provided a child for a barren woman. God provided water in the desert.

But being swallowed by a fish? That hardly fits my personal idea of provision.

Here's my question for you today: What do we learn about God from the way he handled Jonah running from him?