When was the last time you read the story of Jonah? We see that he ran from the work God gave him to do because he was afraid. Then the storm came and caused all on the ship to fear, to the point they finally threw Jonah over into the sea. Then came God's provision!
The big fish that God had prepared for this job, swallowed Jonah and he stayed in it's belly for three days. What must have gone through his mind for three entire days? While we never will know, it is amazing the revelation that hit him on the third day.
The prayer of chapter 2 is amazing. Some might ask "what is so amazing?" Three days prior he was running from God, thinking he could hide from him. Now after spending three days in that belly, he realized why he was there and then declares the Lord will hear his prayer and he will sacrifice unto the God with a voice of thanksgiving, that he will do as God as asked and his Salvation was of God.
After the prayer, Jonah was ready and God talked to the fish and it vomited him up onto dry land. But did Jonah learn everything he was to learn? No, Jonah still had issues. He traveled to Nineveh and proclaimed the message and then expected to see their destruction. The people heard the message and repented then God forgave and had mercy on them.
Jonah was not happy, he thought God was going to destroy them, he did not understand God was warning them to turn from their evil, God did not want to destroy them. Even after being in that fish for three days and understanding God's mercy on him, he could not see the mercy of God on others.
It is interesting to see how Jonah used faith to get him out of the fish. For three days he was in that fish and finally on the third day he proclaimed that God would deliver him, even though he could not see any hope in the natural. When Jonah came to the revelation that God would forgive and deliver him and spoke from his heart knowing he had a job to do, God did just that and delivered him from the fish.
Compassion for others should be a major focus of our lives!