Poor Me Syndrome

The thick darkness was engulfing his whole being. Each breath was getting heavier and heavier with the dense blackness. The intense, wet coldness sank into his bones. Time was nowhere to be found. “Oh, how long, how long?” He constantly thought of his miserable condition. “Will this darkness and coldness ever go away?” While he was flexing his hands, pain shot to each fingertip. Putting his fingers to his face was useless; because, the overall numbness in his body was unbearable. There was no longer feeling within his toes. “Are they even still there?” Gurgling and sloshing constantly echoed to his inner ears. It was a blessing in disguise that he could not see himself through the thick, monstrous darkness.

Pushing his fists deep into his abdomen. Thoughts of nourishment raced through his mind. “Food, he needed food”, but the smells were so horrible and nauseating. The muck and stench were hanging in his hair and dripping onto his shoulders. Slimy, scaly objects were slapping past his torso. Up, up he went. Down, down again. Rotten water was swishing into his mouth. He spewed it out; but, the rottenness and stench were still there. “End it all! End it all! Oh, please, end it all!” Crying out in agony and smashing his hands onto his face once more. Hunching over one last time and crying like never before.

“Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice. For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God. 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 2:1-9

Most people have heard the story of Jonah being swallowed by a whale. “Yes, a whale.”

Matthew 12:40 “…for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale…”

Countless times in my life, I have read about Jonah. It encourages one not to run from God, but to be obedient. One day while studying more about Jonah, my eyes fell on something new. A magnificent feeling rushes through one’s soul when God reveals something new in the Bible. Jonah sat in the whale’s belly for three days before praying. Three whole days and not until his imminent death did Jonah decided to pray.

Jonah 1:17-2:1 “…And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God…”

Why is this important? Three whole days, approximately 72 hours Jonah sat and had a colossal-sized pity party. It shows that Jonah sulked and pouted like a child, he had an attitude, he had given up, he was discouraged, and figured he was at the end of his rope. Has anyone else ever been there? Imagine a new story now; the emotional story of Jonah.

Jonah probably thought things like this, “Well I have done it now. Look at what I have gotten myself into. I will never get out of this one. Why is this happening to me? If only my family and friends could see me now. Poor me, this is the end. Why was I disobedient to God? It was a simple thing to do. Go tell people of Nineveh about him. Why? Oh, why did I not listen? Why did I do things my own way and try to go to Tarshish? I am sure this has never happened to anyone else. Why was I so foolish?”

God’s response is amazing. As soon as Jonah finishes praying, the whale spit him out onto dry ground. God also gave him the physical strength to make the trip to Nineveh in one day. Ordinarily, this was a three-day trip. Now, remember Jonah had no food or water for three whole days, yet God forgave him and strengthened him to get back on track and obey his orders to go to Nineveh.

Jonah 2:10 “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”Jonah 3:3-4 “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey…”

The big encouragement to this story is that when one messes up, do not hesitate to get it right with God. Notice, as soon as Jonah prayed, God delivered him. Now, I am not saying God will always deliver us immediately; but in the case of Jonah, he did. What if Jonah had prayed as soon as the whale swallowed him? He would have never spent three days and nights in the whale’s belly. What if we would pray immediately when we have messed up? God might deliver us immediately, or he may walk through the storm with us as he did with Peter. When Peter was walking on water and began to sink, he cried out.

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him…” Matthew 14:31

The Lord continued to walk with Peter through the storm. How wonderful it is to have the Lord holding us and helping us through our storms. Remember though, we need to cry out for his help.

God is always there, everywhere, for anyone. Do not hesitate to pray. Do not spend three days in the belly of discouragement. Get up, dust one’s self off, confess sins, pray, and watch how God will work in one’s life. Jonah went on to be used in a mighty way. Go on for the Lord and see what mighty things he has planned.