In the Belly of the Fish

By Brenda Rembuluwani

We all at times face problems that seem irresolvable, desiring to say, like Jonah in the Bible, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” because we see no other options. In most cases, this is caused by noise around us which causes us to make irrational decisions.
It is unlikely that, when Jonah landed up in the belly of a fish, he felt that this was a particularly good alternative to the other things that could have happened to him as the result of the situation in which he had been caught. But it was while in the belly of the fish that he had time to take stock of his life and reconnect with God. It is by God’s compelling love that this place is created and made available for all who need it, instead of putting to an end the work He had assigned them to fulfil on earth.
Through the story of Jonah, this book teaches the only option that is open to us all: the option of prayer, accessible from the belly. What is not possible through us or those we consult is possible through God. The teachings include:
•knowing when God has provided the belly of the fish
•how to spend your time in the belly
•how to carry on with your purpose after being released from the belly and,
•how never to run out of options, but run into heavenly options

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brenda Rembuluwani
• Release date: Dec 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9780639725734

Book preview

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In the Belly of the Fish

The kingdom of Jesus Christ will never run out of options

Brenda Rembuluwani

© Brenda Rembuluwani 2022

In the Belly of the Fish

The kingdom of Jesus Christ will never run out of options.

Published by Hope Readers

[phone] / [phone]

ISBN 978-0-6397-2573-4

eISBN 978-0-6397-2574-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Edited and Proofread by Boutique Books

Cover design by Hope Readers

Layout by Boutique Books

Dedication

To all the people of God worldwide: you will never exhaust the options of God to deal with the many situations on earth.

To all my siblings: I have seen you aiming for heavenly options to resolve your situations. Do not change the formula.

To my kids: there will always be several options presented when you face different situations. Reach out for the options of God outlined in this book for your success.

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

One : Run out of options

Two : How you perceive your situation matters

Three : Seeking God and His ideas

Four : In the belly of a Fish

Five : God provides the hiding place

Six : Life in the belly of the fish

Seven : Released from the hiding place

Eight : In your troubles

Nine : Getting into trouble

Ten : Decisions when in trouble

Eleven : At a dead end

Twelve : Run into the option

Thirteen : Declare your option

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

About the author

Introduction

Every situation presents options; every option determines the outcome; and the result sets the future. That is why we all need the wisdom to make the right choices so as to survive situations that have the power to swallow us up or make us run away from our roles and purposes. Without a doubt, you are created and sent to earth to live a victorious life.

In our human nature, it is instilled in us that, when things are not going well in our lives, when we feel like we have run out of options, we reach out to our parents. Young men reach out to their fathers and young women to their mothers to share their challenges and struggles. This could be your biological father or mother, spiritual parents, or any other person you have nominated for this parental purpose in your life.

If this is the case, shouldn’t we do the same with our heavenly Father? We are His sons and daughters whom He expects to reach out about anything, big or small. That is why it is imperative to know that reaching out to the Father is the first and only option to conquer the world and its challenges. Instead of extending our hand to other mortal hands for assistance, or crawling to the feet of mortal man, where it does not always work out, why not crawl to the feet of our Father in prayer?

It is also true that when we are confronted by situations that hinder us from moving forward, situations that force us to take paths that we are not familiar with, we forget the many options outlined in the Word of God. We refuse to move out of the way and allow God to intervene with His supernatural power. These are situations like when your sickness is beyond a doctor’s knowledge; when your court case has been set aside by all experts of the law for lack of a solution; when your finances are beyond repair; or when your life is at the mercy of a serial killer. Anyone whose life is in one of these scenarios might look like he or she has run out of options. But the Word of God, through this book, will correct our perspective. It will remind us of the option of prayer that works in any scenario.

And the Bible makes it clear that this is the option taken by Jonah in the belly of a fish (Jonah 1). This is what Apostle Paul did in the middle of the storm, when he was taken to Rome (Acts 27). What Esther did when her nation was faced with the sword of Haman (Esther 4:16). And what King Jehoshaphat did when he was surrounded by his enemies (2 Chronicles 20:5-6). Without hesitating, they all ran to the Father in prayers.

This is my challenge to you. This cannot be the last resort we pull off our shelves when all else has failed. It must be an option that we choose at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of any situation that life throws to us. This is what the Father, through this book, is intended to correct in our lives. And the heart that will surrender will be the heart that He will exalt above all predicaments.

Do you believe that you have used every possible option you know? Certainly, while believing that you have done everything you could, applied every idea that came across your thoughts, said everything you know, or tested every feasible decision that promised better results, I am aware that some of you are still stuck in your predicaments. Your instinct has already convinced you that there is no other way out. Some of you, in an attempt to free yourselves, have crushed your hope and decreased the level of your faith. You have impatiently asked, What is going on? What is left that I haven’t tried? What am I missing? Why am I not seeing the results of my actions and thoughts?

You have consulted with everyone you know and trust, but your situation remains the same and in the same position. The level of your frustration and anxiety has escalated as you realise that you have been in the same position for a long time, with no success. Yes! Experts you brought in to help you were confident that the options they offered would work for you, as they have worked for many others. They even gave evidence and testimonies, proving the results of their success, declaring that those who applied them came back excited because of the wonderful results they had achieved. For many years these experts had no fear to stand on any platform and declare that their work has never failed.

But, to this point, nothing works for you, and you are desperately seeking a way out. Before you lose yourself in the midst of these thoughts, find out if you have used the option presented in this book and whether you have used it according to the principles laid out in the Word of God.

Remember, it is true that you cannot solve it if you do not understand it. You cannot understand it if you do not know it. I personally discovered that, indeed, you cannot defeat it if you believe it. The opposite is also true. By this I mean that you cannot defeat your situation if you believe that you are stuck in it. That is why, for this teaching to work, you must believe and confess, "I will always have an option".

I know it was easy to read the confession because you were not aware that it was coming. Do you want to say it again with a sense of belief in your heart? "I will always have an option." Perfect!

Through this book, may the Lord reveal to you that it is impossible to run out of ideas when you allow yourself to not face your challenges alone, but with God. Because those who walk with Him, even when they feel that they have run out of options, find a way to run into options.

Run out of options? For a long time, you have seen your situation as a situation with no possibilities. You have acknowledged that there is nothing you can do. Are you convinced that you have done it all and nothing works? In other words, have you accepted defeat? What about the options of others? Have you tried them? This is not a place anyone wants to be, but sometimes we have no say as life fools us into believing that we have run out of options to conquer our situations. No one has ever driven themselves to these positions intentionally. But the fact is that life is full of grievances, self-blame, self-judgement, guilt, self-condemnation and self-hate. And the result of being in these positions for a long time is ashes of dreams, scattered families, damaged thoughts, crippled lives, physical disabilities and, even worse, spiritual death. All these make it difficult for one’s life to move forward.

I believe that I have caused you to gain an appetite to learn more of this topic and I encourage you to keep on reading.

Run into an option? It is obvious that, by the time you acknowledge that your situation has reached the end of the road, you will have tried all options except the option that this book is bringing to your attention. So, running into the option simply means that you will have called to your Father for help through the option of prayer. By so doing, you declare that you haven’t exhausted all the options. There is still one option that you have missed or ignored at the beginning of your circumstance.

You do not have to feel bad or ashamed about it. Many of us have made the same mistake. That is the reason why so many of us have quit before we could realise our breakthrough. Many have put their heads in the sand right in the middle of the process, hoping that the situation will go away. Many have taken their lives because they could not see a way out. And lastly, many have cursed God for not making the option clear or confirming in their spirit that it is the only ticket out.

Some have known of the option, attempted to apply it but have given up along the way because they thought it did not work or worked very slowly. This is extremely sad because in all cases the option is working. I admit, however, that sometimes it works quietly behind the scenes, where only the ones who understand God can see the progress and perceive the gradual changes in their circumstances.

It is impossible to run out of options. When you are in a no-way-out situation with the Master of all situations, the Provider of options, and the Rescuer of all who trust in Him, you will always have one more option, no matter where your situation has dragged you to. The same way Jonah found his way out, is the way that this book will assist you out.

Maybe you are asking how Jonah did find his way out. That is the question I will answer in this book for your benefit. I believe that, by the time you reach the end of the last chapter, you would have tried it in your situation and will be ready to share it with the world. I have already introduced the option to you, but do not underestimate the knowledge needed to understand how to apply it and believe in it. That is why I encourage you to continue reading.

It is not in God’s nature to run out of options. You remember Moses and the Israelites when they thought it was over with them? You will recall that they came to this conclusion because there was the river of Jordan before them and the army of Pharaoh behind them. They panicked because they did not trust Moses to have any option that would get them out of that situation. That was the mistake they made because, instead of looking to Moses for ideas, they should have looked to the God of Moses, who never runs out of options. You must not repeat the same mistake. This book will remind you that, whether you are stuck in the belly of a fish, in the middle of the sea, in the darkness of your troubles, or at the dead-end of the road, there is one option that will never leave you or disappoint you.

It must be clear to His beloved ones that they are not meant to run out of options. God is the source of all mankind’s ideas. And He has already assigned His Holy Spirit to help them follow the instructions to walk through, around and out of any situation. With this, it means that His loved ones will always know what to do in any situation. Confusion is for those who do not believe and trust in Him. These are the double-minded who question His ways and fall into the trap of their own ideas.

However, those who have connected their lives, futures, careers, businesses, finances, families and their affairs in general to Him, fear nothing. For they know that the tribulations of this world show up to promote them, not to defeat them. And when their situation seems to have come to a dead-end, they know who to run to for options. God has run out of options,