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Yeah (Bleeping) Right


When people hear the story of Jonah, the first reaction is often skepticism. "You really believe a man was swallowed by a fish and lived to tell about it? Yeah, (bleeping) right." And I get it. It sounds impossible. But here’s the thing—I do believe it happened. I believe Jonah was literally swallowed by a great fish, just as the Bible says. But I also understand that there’s more to this story than just a miraculous event. Even if you can’t wrap your mind around the literal part, the illustration should still hit home. Because if you’ve ever been in a place so dark, so isolating, so full of regret that you thought you’d never make it out—you’ve been in the belly of the fish. And that’s what we’re talking about here.

The Belly of the Fish: When Life Swallows You Whole

Jonah ended up in the belly of the fish because he ran from his purpose. He knew what he was supposed to do, but he wanted no part of it. Instead of following God’s call, he got on a boat headed in the opposite direction. And life—more specifically, God—wasn’t having it. A storm hit, Jonah got thrown overboard, and suddenly, he found himself swallowed up. Not just by a fish, but by the consequences of his own choices.

Sound familiar?

I know it does for me. My personal "belly of the fish" moment was when I went to jail, facing the possibility of never coming home. In that moment, everything was stripped away—my freedom, my plans, my ability to run. All I had left was time to reflect. And just like Jonah, I had to come to terms with myself, my choices, and what I was going to do moving forward.

The Wake-Up Call and the Reset

Jonah sat in the belly of that fish for three days. No way out. No control over his situation. Just darkness, regret, and time to think. And finally, he did the only thing he could—he prayed. He repented. He surrendered. And that’s when things started to change.

That’s how it works in real life, too. Sometimes, life puts you in a position where you have no choice but to face yourself. Maybe it’s jail. Maybe it’s addiction. Maybe it’s losing everything you thought mattered. Whatever it is, the belly of the fish is a place of forced reflection. A wake-up call that can either break you or reset you. Jonah came out of it a different man. I did, too. And if you’ve been there, you know exactly what I mean.

Spit Out and Sent Back to Purpose

Here’s the part that gets me: the fish didn’t digest Jonah. It didn’t destroy him. It held him until he was ready. And then, it spit him back out—not where he wanted to go, but where he needed to be.

For me, jail wasn’t the end. It was a turning point. It forced me to see my life differently. And when I finally got out, I wasn’t the same person who went in. That’s what these moments do. They refine you. They redirect you. Jonah didn’t get spit out just anywhere—he got sent back to Nineveh, back to his purpose. Because God wasn’t done with him yet. And if you’re still here, that means God isn’t done with you either.

More Than Just a Fish Story

So yeah, I believe Jonah was literally swallowed by a fish. But even if you don’t, the truth behind the story is still undeniable. We all go through times where life swallows us whole, where we feel trapped in darkness with no way out. But those moments aren’t the end—they’re the turning points. The places where we are broken down, so we can be built back up stronger.

So the next time you hear Jonah’s story, don’t get caught up on the fish. Ask yourself: Have I ever been in the belly? And if so, what did I do when I was there?

Because if you’re reading this, you made it out. The only question is—what are you going to do now?

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