verseoftheday

"And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh...?" Jonah 4:11 NIV God's parting question to Jonah is a statement of God's love that echoes down the centuries...Jonah was too concerned about his own comfort and missed God's heart for people. All people. God saw beyond the lifestyle of Nineveh and the things they did and saw people He loved, people who needed a saviour. A way. Just as Jesus gave up the comfort of heaven, shrunk himself, humbled himself, gave himself up to become The Way for me...sometimes I'm just like Jonah & more concerned for my own comfort...and I lose sight of God's heart for people. All people. Lord today help me to see those around me as you do,  to love as you do. Help me to see that I'm part of your Big Story of restoration. Amen #lessonsfromJonah #lovepeople

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord... I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love... Jonah 4:1-2 NIV The repentence of the city annoyed Jonah He knew God's heart and character. Even though Jonah was angry with God he didn't forget what God was all about. Just like Jonah there are times when I'm angry at God. Or disappointed. Or just can't understand why He just doesn't intervene...why won't he fix...or heal... Just like Jonah I should pray. God still wants to hear from us even if we're angry. Just like Jonah I should remember God's heart. Gracious Compassionate Slow to anger Abounding in love And no matter what, choose to trust that great heart of love... #lessonsfromJonah #loveGod #faith #faithinthedark

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you" Jonah 3:1-2 NLT The city. Sometimes we just want to get away from cities...withdraw...get somewhere peaceful... But God says the city is important. Yes there's challenges & difficulties...but there's also energy & creativity... But most of all, there's people. People who matter to God. And if they matter to God they should matter to us too... God called Jonah to the city. Maybe you already live in one...that's a mission field right there...a place to live out our faith with all the challenges of the city, as well as the opportunities... #lessonsfromJonah #lovepeople #somethingtochewon

Jonah entered the city, went one days walk and preached, "In forty days Nineveh will be smashed" The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God... Jonah 3:3-5 MSG Smashed. Love the MSG! The people (toughest, most bloodthirsty group in the world!) listened & trusted God! Jonah didn't know that there had been famines and uprisings in the city and the people were ready to hear God's call Jonah didn't know what else was going on in the background He just did what God asked of him. When God prompts us to act, to reach out, to encourage, to go...we need to follow His call 'cos we don't know what else is going on in other peoples lives, how God is working in the background...we don't know about Jonah's age, education, health or wealth...just that God called...& He calls us... Who is He prompting you and me to reach out to today? Will I dare to ask Him? #lessonsfromJonah #listen #lovepeople

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: " Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you" Jonah 3:1-2 NLT It's easy to diss Jonah for running. But he was asked to go to the most hostile people on earth (think ISIS) & tell them they're wrong and it's time to love Jesus (by the way walk 1000km to get there) Not sure I'd be that keen. If you were God and had your choice of prophets for this important project, you'd choose the best. Someone you knew could do this. Even if they didn't. Is God calling you somewhere hard? Are you facing a Nineveh sized challenge? We've all got stuff that God has for us that we'd rather not do...rather run from. Whatever that is for you today, take God's hand and head towards it... #with #nofear #lessonsfromJonah

Then God spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore. Jonah 2:10 MSG We want to work on our terms. We like (to think we're) in control But life isn't like that...there's an accident...a diagnosis...a failure... Things we thought were solid suddenly aren't Life can be messy It was pretty messy for Jonah...puked up on some unknown beach somewhere... But. From inside the whale he'd recommited to the adventure with God. In all of this I'm gonna trust God. In what looks like a place of complete darkness and failure I'm gonna trust God - trust Him in the dark - & prepared to go with Him wherever that adventure takes me #trustGodinthedark #adventure #faith #lessonsfromJonah #lifeisanadventure

When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord...Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them.  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 2:7-9 NIV CH Spurgeon said "To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark - that is faith" Jonah trusted in the dark. Not only that, but he had some kind of epiphany about the useless things that seemed so important, that distracted and dragged him away from God's love. In the dark, he gave those up and refocused his life on God... repurposed what remained...(he didn't know he was soon heading back to the light...) #lessonsfromJonah #faithinthedark #whataremyidols

From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: "In my distress I called to the Lord...I called for help...  You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me...I said, I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple. Jonah 2:1-4 NIV Jonah was in a tough place. Out of his depth (lol) - but he was in a place that he'd had no experience of. He was in real trouble, fearful...upset...lost...without hope...yet...his cry continued to be to God. Yet he turned to Him Even when it seemed God had turned his back. Yet. If you feel like Jonah today, do what Jonah did and cry out to Him. Even if it seems God has turned his back... #lessonsfromJonah #weareallJonah

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do..." "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, he replied, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you" Instead, the men did their best to row back to land... Jonah 1:11-13 NIV Even though the men on the boat were knew their problems were all with Jonah, they still wanted to save him. There is goodness and good people in this world even if they don't share our faith. There is compassion and love that flows through people because it's designed into us all by the Creator - and it points us back to Him And it reflects God's view that every life is precious... Glimpses of the Kingdom #lessonsfromJonah #dearlyloved #childrenofGod

...such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship... Jonah 1:4-5 NIV These guys were facing imminent death. They knew that their boat was on the brink of destruction and that would be the end. If we just work harder, do good, throw the cargo we thought was important overboard, we can save ourselves. But we can't. Grace is a gift that doesn't rely on our goodness, the things we do, but only on what Jesus did. Jonah was prepared to give his life to save a few sailors, but Jesus did give his life to save us all. Freely. Nothing we could do. That's love. #grace #itsagift #dearlyloved #lessonsfromJonah

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish... ...After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose... Jonah 1:3-4 NIV When we turn from God, when we choose another path, when we go against what we know is right...God sends a warning. In this case a big unmissable storm. When I rebel, that storm may be my conscience, may be what someone else says to me, some passage of scripture or God's still small voice...but somehow God let's me know. He sends a warning. So what's your Nineveh? A place? A person you need to forgive? A habit you need to break? A weakness that needs to become a strength? Nineveh. Unknown. Scary. Tarshish. Apparently much more pleasant. No matter how hard or scary the road to Nineveh is, God is with you... #lessonsfromJonah #choose #with #theroad #inthistogether

The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh... But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord... He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish. Jonah 1:1-3 NLT Ever been called by God to go? Jonah had a big C Call, to go and preach, to be a missionary in a really hard place, but I've had a few small c calls... like to change my attitude towards someone. To look out for the needs of others. To not be so grumpy Or what about to be holy, not to gossip...to be kind...to give...to forgive Whatever it is, when God calls, better to go with Him than the other way...when you want to go left & He calls you to go right...go right #weareallJonah #lessonsfromJonah