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Jonah 4

25 Oct

4 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Jonah 4

Dear God, first, I want to apologize. When I was looking at the Assyrians in Nineveh and them being an enemy of Israel, I was suspecting you of having ulterior motives for sending Jonah to warn them of their destruction. Maybe you needed them to repent so they would be there for Israel and help her. I was trying to look at the big picture. But here it is in verse 4:11b: Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” Answer: Yes, you should. And that should be enough for your mercy.

Is it ever the right thing to be angry about mercy? I can’t think of a time in the New Testament when looking down on mercy was the right thing to do. In the story of the Prodigal Son/Father, the older brother was angry about the mercy. He was wrong. In the story of the woman caught in adultery, a lot of people were angry at Jesus’s mercy, and they were wrong. When Jesus forbade James and John from calling down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritan city because he had mercy on them and respected their decision to refuse him passage, they were wrong.

Rich Mullins had a song he wrote for his friend’s new son called “Let Mercy Lead.” The chorus: 

Let mercy lead 
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in ever footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach 
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
And I'll be you in that place
Where mercy leads

Father, I’m still haunted a bit by a question a person asked me the other night. He’s one of these people who is always saying he’s doing fabulous or terrific. We were getting out of our cars at the same time, and he asked me, “How are you doing,” and I did my normal thing of saying I’m doing “alright” with a little pensiveness in my voice. He asked what could change so that I’d be doing great. It was a good question, I suppose. I’ve thought about it since then. Why do I respond the way that I do? Why don’t I go the “Terrific!” route or the “Just fine” route? I guess it’s because I want to be authentic, and there are laments in my life. I walk with a limp, and I don’t want to hide my limp. I don’t invite everyone into my laments. I don’t broadcast them. But if a fellow sojourner wants to know what my laments are I’ll tell them. And usually when I do it helps them. What does this have to do with mercy? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because some of my laments involve me figuring out how to give mercy when it’s not requested or deserved. Some of it is me doing things I don’t want to do but you’re calling me to do, like Jonah (see yesterday’s prayer). Some of it is that I need some mercy extended to me that is not coming in the foreseeable future. So help me to be authentic, but also help me to not try to use the answer to the “How are you?” question as an opportunity to get others to feel sorry for me. That’s certainly not what I want. I am loved by you, and I am not a man to be pitied, no matter what my circumstances are.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 25, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 1:17-2:10

24 Oct

17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

2 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 2 He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble,
    and he answered me.
I called to you from the land of the dead,
    and Lord, you heard me!
3 You threw me into the ocean depths,
    and I sank down to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
    I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.
4 Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence.
    Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

5 “I sank beneath the waves,
    and the waters closed over me.
    Seaweed wrapped itself around my head.
6 I sank down to the very roots of the mountains.
    I was imprisoned in the earth,
    whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
    snatched me from the jaws of death!
7 As my life was slipping away,
    I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer went out to you
    in your holy Temple.
8 Those who worship false gods
    turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise,
    and I will fulfill all my vows.
    For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

Jonah 1:17-2:10

Dear God, let’s just jump right into this.

  • “Now the Lord had arranged…” – We’ve closed the scene with the sailors and they’ll not be heard from again. But you already had this worked out for Jonah. The sailors thought he was dead. Jonah thought he was being thrown to his death, and he’d rather have had that death than go to the Assyrians in Nineveh. But you weren’t going to let him off that easily. To quote Washington in the musical Hamilton, “Dying is easy, young man. Living is harder.” But you had made this plan “Jonah-proof.” It is so comforting to know that your plans are “John-proof” too. Even in the midst of my sin and mistakes, you have already made arrangements for my foolishness.
  • 7 “As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple.” – It turns out that he did want to live. He wasn’t ready to repent. He just asked for mercy over his life. But did you answer his request for his sake or for yours? You had a plan and he was part of it whether he liked it or not. In that moment, he might have thought you were loving him and rescuing him–and maybe you were–but you also had something you needed him to do. I note, there’s no repentance in here. He doesn’t regret running from you. It’s more like Cain when you banish him after he killed Abel and he says, “My punishment is more than I can bear.” (Genesis 4:18)
  • 9 “But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.” – He relents, but he doesn’t repent. There’s a fine line there, but it is definitely a line. He agrees to fulfill his vows to you because you are God and he is not, but he never repents. I would love to sit here and judge him 2,800 years later, but maybe I need to consider how I’m doing in this area. Are there place in my life where I relent to your will, but I do not repent or joyfully submit to you? If there are, please open my eyes to see them.
  • 10 Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. – I’ll confess that this is a weird story, but I have no reason to doubt it except for the fact that it’s unreasonable to believe it. But I believe all kinds of unreasonable things, but I wholly believe them. At the end of the day, I could argue with someone vehemently about this whole “big fish” aspect of this story and it wouldn’t take away from the lesson the story teaches.

Father, I guess I can think of one way I’m like Jonah. I can think of something in my life that I do grudgingly. I’m doing it, but I don’t want to do it. And here’s the thing. I have a feeling that the doing of it will not only bless others, but somehow you’re going to bless me in the process. I think we’ll see by the time we get to chapter 4, Jonah refuses to participate in the blessing you have for him in sending him to Nineveh. It wasn’t only for the Assyrians. It was for him too. But he missed it. Help me to not miss you and the growth into being Christlike you have for me.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 1:4-16

23 Oct

4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.

But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

Jonah 1:4-16

Dear God, I want to stop before verse 17, when we first hear about the big fish. If the story were to just stop here, it would still be interesting. Man runs from God. God kills man through storm. Gentiles worship God when they are saved through miraculous end to storm. The end. So I want to sit with that for a second. I want to sit with Jonah and his willingness to die rather than go to Nineveh. It’s almost as if he kind of wants to die, but he’s just not willing to throw himself overboard (which was an option). He wanted some other Gentiles to do the dirty work for him.

I guess my first question would be to ask why you chose Jonah. He doesn’t seem particularly likeable. He runs from your request. He is resting peacefully while the sailors are scared. If the crew had been Jewish, would he have cared more? Was he just indifferent about all Gentiles and hostile towards the Assyrians? Yeah, it’s hard for me to understand why you chose Jonah in the first place. It seems like you could have picked someone else.

So you picked Jonah, but he was a bitter mess. So you decide to correct him through these other people. I wondered for a moment why you didn’t just strike him personally until he knuckled under. You could have given him leprosy or something like that. But then again, you knew how hard his heart was, and you knew that he would sink, even to death, before he obeyed you. So you set up a situation that was simply so miserable for him that, while he never will quite repent, he will agree to obey.

Then there are the men who are seemingly moral men. They don’t want to just kill a man on the “chance” (playing off of the idea that they cast lots) that it will end the storm. They are willing to look at all of the solutions available to them before they get to their last resort: throwing Jonah overboard.

Jonah gives them the solution. He doesn’t confess his sin, but he does acknowledge that this is between you and him and has nothing to do with the sailors. I wonder if they hoped he would just throw himself overboard. I’m sure at least a few of them did. I would have if I were them.

Their human efforts to survive are proving to not be enough, so they chunk Jonah into the sea. He will surely die. But when Jonah path finally diverges from theirs, you leave them alone. Did you do it to save them, or were you indifferent? I’d like to think that you didn’t cause Jonah to run, but you made the pain count and used the situation to impact these men’s lives. I wonder how those changed lives that day flowed into history.

Father, show me if there are ways I’m obstinately not obeying you. Reveal to me whether or not I have a hard heart. As I get closer to you I can feel less and less hate in me. I’m grateful for that. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t any left. Help me to love as you commanded me to love. Help me to obey when you command me to do something I don’t want to do. Give me ears to hear you. Give me eyes to see. Give me a heart to love. Grow your fruit in my life so that others my see me and join the path that goes through the narrow gate.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 23, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 1:1-3

22 Oct

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

Jonah 1:1-3

Dear God, I’m teaching on Jonah coming up. I was inspired by the Catholic Old Testament readings a couple of weeks ago, so I’m going to do Jonah one week and Habakkuk the next for the two weeks I’m teaching. So I thought I’d go back and spend some more time with these stories and marinade in them a bit as I put together my lessons.

With that said, I’m stopping quickly in the narrative this week because I have two things that strike me in these three verses.

  1. Why did you even care about Nineveh and its repentance in the first place.
  2. I didn’t appreciate Jonah’s run from you until I looked at a map and figured out where he started from, where he went to, and where you were sending him.

So, why Nineveh? They were Assyrians. They were the capital of Assyria. They Assyrians were Israel’s biggest Gentile enemy at the time. What were you doing? The truth is, I don’t know. I’m not sure if there are other examples of you sending prophets to Gentiles in the Old Testament, telling them to repent. Okay, I just Googled it, and apparently Obadiah and Nahum got this kind of assignment as well. I’ll need to read those later to see if there is a similar thread. My initial wondering was a more strategic one than just about your mercy. “Maybe you were softening their hearts towards Israel through their repentance before you and worship of you.” But hey, maybe you just loved them. I’ll need to look into this more.

The next is simply Jonah’s run. I didn’t understand that Tarshish was on the Atlantic side of the Spanish coast.

He might have gone to Joppa and just said, “How far does this boat go?” I also didn’t appreciate how far away Nineveh was from Jonah’s home. He really, really didn’t want to help these Gentiles.

The biblical commentary I was reading pointed out that Jonah didn’t believe you were for non-Israelites. Gentiles need not apply for your mercy or grace. Isn’t it funny how our nature is to be so tribal? What is it in your insecurity that drives us to want to separate ourselves from others?

Father, this was a good start. I’ll look into Obadiah and Nahum a little more today and get their stories. But in the meantime, keep me loving others. Help me to love my “enemies.” Help me to be willing to give my life for all.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 22, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Luke 11:29-36

13 Oct

29 As the crowd pressed in on Jesus, he said, “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah. 30 What happened to him was a sign to the people of Nineveh that God had sent him. What happens to the Son of Man will be a sign to these people that he was sent by God.

31 “The queen of Sheba will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen. 32 The people of Nineveh will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.

33 “No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.

34 “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when it is unhealthy, your body is filled with darkness. 35 Make sure that the light you think you have is not actually darkness. 36 If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.”

Luke 11:29-36

Dear God, I need to remember to repent well. Do I? Do I have some areas of my life that I’d just rather not think about? Or that I’ve accepted as good enough to make it through until death? Are there corners of darkness I refuse to light? Is there dirt behind some of the furniture of my soul that I refuse to move the furniture so I can clean? Am I just clean enough for appearances, but I still have some vices that rob me of the life you have for me and the world for what you might want to do through me?

I want to pray that I want you to come in a reveal every part to me and cleanse me. I want to say that, but I’m afraid to. Am I really ready to go to that level with you. I’m 55 years old. I’ve been following you earnestly since I was 17. Nearly 40 years. I’ve gotten very comfortable with the level I’m at? Are you calling me to still another level?

Father, as I read this passage, I thought about going a number of ways. I thought about wondering what if Jonah had embraced his mission to Nineveh as Jesus did to all of us? And I was thankful that Jesus didn’t ultimately take Jonah’s position and try to run from us and then get bitter when you forgave us in repentance. But instead of praying that, I found myself praying about the dark corners of my heart. So I’m going to go ahead and say it and mean it. Reveal to me the areas of my heart that need to be addressed. As I sit here, I’m not sure what they are, but I have some thoughts. Give me a heart that is ready to deal with them and walk 100% after you with nothing dark so that you might radiantly shine through me. And for good measure, I have a relative who is getting some important medical information today. Oh, my Jesus. Oh, Father. Oh, Holy Spirit. Be with her and her husband today. Love them. Encourage them. Guide them. Heal her. Make her body completely whole. And use the pain and the strain to mold them into your vessels even more than they already are. They have hearts for you. Find them in this moment and help them to find you. Give them a ministry they’d never have otherwise had. But in this moment, Father, I ask that you heal.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 13, 2025 in Luke

 

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Jonah 4

08 Oct

4 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Jonah 4

Dear God, oh, how you love us. It’s all right here. I was talking with a man yesterday about his fear that his sins will keep him from your presence and out of heaven. I tried to encourage him that your love is deep. What you are looking for is our hearts and repentance, not our perfection. Yes, you slowly (very slowly) form us into your likeness if we pursue you, but you also work with us where we are. This man seemed to have deep sins that concerned him. I reminded him that both David and Moses killed people, but they repented well.

So now I see Jonah being bitter about the idea that he isn’t your favored one. That he doesn’t have a monopoly on your love and forgiveness. Even the Ninevites can earn your love and forgiveness. Who were the Ninevites? Apparently, this was the capital for the Assyrians, so the king of Nineveh was a powerful person. But they were also cruel. They conquered and killed. They threatened and laid waste. Honestly, I’m not sure why you singled them out for 1.) destruction and 2.) salvation. But what I want to think about today is Jonah.

Jesus had this weird teaching. He told us to love our enemies. When someone is coming at me and strikes me on the face, Jesus calls me to turn the other cheek. When I read this story yesterday, the Ninevites reminded me of the Prodigal Son and Jonah reminded me of the older brother. One thing I like about Jonah is that he owns his foolishness. He tells you exactly what he thinks about you and your plan. What I think people who want you to not forgive others forget is that if you were to take the perspective that there is a line I can cross that is irredeemable and unforgiveable, they might actually find themselves on the wrong side of the cut line. I gain nothing if you don’t forgive my enemy. But I could lose everything if your forgiveness becomes conditional.

Father, I have so much heaviness in my heart. I have some things at work that are making my heart heavy. I have friends who are suffering. I have family who are suffering. I woke up at 2:00 this morning and never could go back to sleep. I wasn’t worrying about anything one thing in particular, but the weight of all of it made me lie awake. Maybe I should have gotten up and prayed. Maybe I should have come in my study here and done this. I didn’t. Instead, I looked for distractions. So help me to love others. Help me to be at peace. Help me to lead and help me to serve. Help me to remember the bad example of Jonah. I want to carry your message of love and repentance to everyone I meet today.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 3

07 Oct

3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah 3

Dear God, this makes me think of the Prodigal Son. The Ninevites are him while he’s out living wild. Jonah’s threat of destruction is him longing for the food the pigs are eating. They are staring down the barrel of their own destruction and scared. What will they do? Will they stay there and accept the fate they brought upon themselves, or will they humble themselves and hope for mercy? Like the Prodigal Son, they decided to simply hope for mercy.

I just peeked ahead and saw that tomorrow we will get Jonah’s reaction, and I imagine I’ll think of him as the Prodigal Son’s older brother. But that’s for tomorrow. For today, I want to kind of sit here for a minute and think about humility and what it takes to get there. It’s usually rock bottom. It’s the thing I pray for when I or others experience great pain–make the pain count. Don’t let it be wasted. I’m thinking about a man someone called me about last week. He’s addicted to alcohol, but he’s not 1.) ready to stop and 2.) acknowledge you or accept any process that leans into you for healing. He’s not there yet. But the friend and I talked, and you are using this to bring his wife back to you. You’re making the pain count for her.

Father, help me to understand where I am still arrogant, and help me to humble myself so that I might be spared hitting bottom. Help me to humbly love. Help me to not judge, but simply love. I don’t want to be so arrogant that I bring on my own destruction. I don’t want to be so judgmental and vindictive that I don’t want to help and love the repentant person who is coming to you. I want to be what Jonah and the older brother should have been, not what they are. And I don’t want to be the Ninevites or the Prodigal Son either. I want to be completely humble and laid out before you. I want to be used by you however you see fit.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 7, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Jonah 1

06 Oct

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

4 But the Lord hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.

But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. 6 So the captain went down after him. “How can you sleep at a time like this?” he shouted. “Get up and pray to your god! Maybe he will pay attention to us and spare our lives.”

7 Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit. 8 “Why has this awful storm come down on us?” they demanded. “Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?”

9 Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”

10 The sailors were terrified when they heard this, for he had already told them he was running away from the Lord. “Oh, why did you do it?” they groaned. 11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

12 “Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.”

13 Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. 14 Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”

15 Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

17 Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah 1

Dear God, I want to sit with the men on the boat for a minute. That’s what struck, I think for the first time, as I read this story this morning. Not only did you use this to reach the people of Nineveh, but you also reached the sailors on this ship. They started addressing their problem by pleading to their gods for help, and nothing worked. Their idols weren’t behind the storm, and they couldn’t stop it. But Jonah, who was sleeping peacefully and probably hoping he would die rather than go to the people he hated and offer them your forgiveness, knew he was the one endangering everyone. It’s interesting that he had them throw him overboard instead of jumping over himself.

As my wife and I were just praying, I was thinking about how you used this experience to show these men your power and glory. “16 The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.” I was thinking about the trials going on in some friends’ and family’s lives. I was thinking about how you could bring yourself glory in their lives through the pain of their experiences. How you can bring yourself glory through the pain of my experience.

Father, you see our reality in a whole different way than I do. You used Jonah’s rebellion to minister to and witness to these sailors. If Jonah had obeyed you immediately they would never have known you. And I don’t know how those dominoes knocked over other dominos for your glory’s sake. But I know that I want to carry you into my day today. I want to be a source of love to all who see and encounter me. Even in my mistakes, I want you to be glorified. I love you, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, my Triune God.

I pray this prayer in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2025 in Jonah

 

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Hebrews 10:32-36, Jonah 3, Acts 17:22-34

24 Sep

32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.

35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Hebrews 10:32-36

Dear God, I had a thought cross my mind this morning: How do we bring the world to repentance? How do we bring the world, and our country, back to worshipping you with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength, and then loving our neighbors as ourselves? I see two options:

Jonah and Nineveh: When Jonah finally goes to Nineveh in chapter Jonah 3, he walks through the city and preaches that you will destroy the city in 40 days. So, in a way, there is still a threat of destruction here. They are just able to heed the warnings. They are able to come quickly to the end of themselves. It’s quite admirable how quickly the king and the people get there.

Suffering: Right now, I think there are some in the church who are admirably trying to be Jonah to our current society. They are trying to warn of your disappointment, displeasure, and a coming destruction. Some of them are more effective at it than others. Jesus offers a new Gospel than Jonah had to offer Nineveh, so it is not apples to apples. It is important to note that.

That leads me to an interesting question: What would Jonah’s message to Nineveh have been in a time that is after Jesus’s life, death and resurrection? Maybe it’s kind of like Paul preaching to the Greeks in Acts about the Unknown God (Acts 17:22-34). Instead of preaching fear and destruction, Paul preached reconciliation and relationship with you. Fruit of your Spirit growing within us. A changed life.

Father, I really don’t know that there is any turning of our collective hearts towards you at this point without some sort of suffering. And if that is what you have for us, I am okay with that. I’m not afraid of what happens if either Harris or Trump are elected president in November. I am not worried about preserving American Christian power and influence in the world. I am just worried about how you would have me influence the people you have put in my lives today. I am worried about loving you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I am worried about loving my neighbor as myself. I am worried about teaching people reconciliation to you. I am worried about teaching them about the God they don’t know. I’ve known you for 35 years, and I still have only scratched the surface of who you are. In fact, I don’t even think I’ve scratched the surface. But in this moment, right now, I just want to make my life a living sacrifice to you. All that I am for all that you are. My utmost for your highest.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on September 24, 2024 in Acts, Hebrews, Jonah

 

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Lent Day 1: Psalm 32, Jonah 3-4

14 Feb

Psalm 32

A psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
    Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Jonah 3-4

3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

4 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Dear God, I have decided that I am going to be very intentional about Lent this year. I found a book called Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. No specific author is listed, but it’s from The Foundry Publishers. I’m going to let it be my guide through this season.

Day 1 listed several passages:

  • AM Psalms 32, 95, 143
  • PM Psalms 102, 130
  • Jonah 3-4
  • Luke 18:9-14
  • Hebrews 12:1-14

I’ve decided to commit to getting up about 45 minutes earlier than I normally do to spend this time dedicated time with you. I’ve read everything at this point except the PM Psalms. The two passages that struck me were Psalm 32 and Jonah 3-4.

I like Psalm 32 because it reminds me of why I came to you in the first place. Well, that might not be exactly true. I cannot remember how much of my motivation was “fire insurance,” but what ended up happening was this amazing release when I first experienced the cleansing of your grace. What an amazing thing.

I like Jonah 3-4 because it reminds me of what I was praying about yesterday with the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. While what Satan had done in Nineveh was evil, Satan was the enemy. The Ninevites were not the enemy. Jonah saw them as the enemy, but you didn’t. You were angry with them, but you wanted their repentance, not their destruction. Jonah wanted only their destruction.

Father, help me to see each and every person I encounter today with your eyes. No one–absolutely no one–is my enemy. They are an opportunity to bring your life into someone who needs you. They are an opportunity to bring the freedom and joy David speaks of in Psalm 32 into their life and into the world. Help me to remember that. Help me to also remember that amazing freedom I first felt and have felt a few times since I received the amazing grace that you give to me.

I offer this prayer and this Lenten season to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2024 in Jonah, Lent 2024, Psalms

 

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