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.”
Jonah 2:9 NIV
Grateful Praise
Eric Pham’s harrowing escape from Vietnam 40 years ago shaped his approach to life, work and living with gratitude. “The refugee experience taught me to notice the kindness of others but also to remain strong,” says Pham, who used that resilience to adapt to his new life in southern Alberta as a teenager. Pham now works in the Chief Information Officer section of the RCMP, but says he always dreamed about policing when he was young boy in Saigon.
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Many of us have had the opportunity to pray in some really interesting places. Maybe it was a large cathedral or a place of breathtaking natural beauty. If you have been to Israel, you’ve had the privilege, and joy, of praying in the Garden of Gethsemane or the Garden Tomb. It is quite likely that you’ve never prayed in a place anywhere like the prophet Jonah – from the belly of great fish. Here is part of what Jonah prays – from Jonah 2:9 – after God got his attention: “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.’” Jonah was running from the will of God and God used a fish to get his attention. Jonah got the point and not only does God change his physical direction, he turns Jonah’s heart around as well. Jonah goes from running from God to praising Him. No matter how far you think you have run from God, He continues to pursue you. Why not stop and turn your heart towards the Lord. As you do, you too will begin to lift up praise to the God who loves you.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley