Deeper Still by Janice Woodrum

Author:Janice Woodrum [Woodrum, Janice Leasure]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Destiny Image, Inc.

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord. And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”

Jonah 2:8-9

Chapter Nine

Praise Precedes Deliverance

About 20 years ago I experienced a season in my Christian walk that was perhaps more transforming to my life and spirit than any previous season, with the exception of the day I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I want to share this with you before our exploration together is finished.

I had been asked by the elders of our church to chair a committee to prepare for a mini-conference that was to be held there about six months later. The speaker was Jack Taylor, and the conference centered around his book, Hallelujah Factor.6 So the first thing I did was purchase the book and I began to read it. Little did I know it would be one of the most profound and life-changing experiences of my Christian life.

I remember stuffing the new book into my carry-on bag before a trip I was making from Seattle to Kansas City to visit relatives. There, settled in the plane with my soda and a package of peanuts I began to investigate this intriguing book. Soon I knew that Mr. Taylor was really on to something, and several hours later upon landing, I said to myself, “I’ll never be the same again.” I knew in my gut that the precepts presented in that book would change me, but I couldn’t have guessed that it would transform my lukewarm Christian walk into a roaring fire – truly a greatly renewed faith walk with God. I wish I could relate every principle to you, but there is one that stands out in my mind after all these years. And that is the concept that “praise precedes deliverance.” Let’s look briefly at a few specific scriptural examples.

Jonah’s Story: We see in chapter one that Jonah had run away from God’s assignment for him to preach to the wicked city of Nineveh, calling the people to repentance. A great storm came up, and the boat he was in had nearly capsized. The men finally threw Jonah overboard, sensing strongly that his disobedience to God was the root cause of their trouble. The story tells us in Jonah 1:17: “But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.”

In chapter two, verses 1-6 Jonah recounts his experience and emotions as he sank “into the deep, into the very heart of the seas.” And within his dark “deep belly” experience he undergoes an attitude adjustment just in time:

“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. ‘Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanks-giving, will sacrifice to you.

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