Jonah

I was thinking I knew everything about the story of Jonah and the whale, but this time when I read it, I found a little nugget that had not occurred to me before.

Jonah 1:15-17

15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
17 ¶ Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

God is able to make lemonade out of lemons. Here was a situation where God was helping Jonah to learn something, and He also took the opportunity to make Himself known to the others on the boat. I had not remembered reading the part about how the experience Jonah had had affected for good the lives of others.

I know that God is able to use our weaknesses for His eternal purposes. I think he does it in the case of Joseph and his brothers, too. That is just the first one that comes to mind, but I know there would be many more examples in the scriptures.