Day 33 - 40 Days in the Old Testament
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 33|OUR GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE GOD
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 33|OUR GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE GOD
OUR GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE GOD
Jonah 2:1-2
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 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!’” (NLT)
Everyone, even non-churchgoers, seems to know the story of “Jonah and the Whale.” They may miss the details and the WHY of this slightly weird story, but they don’t miss the man Jonah being inside a whale (or big fish) for three days!
But, the story as to WHY can be helpful.
First, Jonah was told by the LORD to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire that wanted to destroy Israel. Now, Jonah and his clan feared and hated Nineveh and the Assyrians. So, when God told him to go and share the good news about Him (Almighty God), Jonah ran the other way. He didn’t WANT to do the people of Nineveh any favors; he desired them gone and wiped from the earth, not learning about his Almighty Jehovah God.
If you’ve gone to church much of your life, you might find it a bit uncomfortable – as Jonah would have – if I were to remind you that God loves ALL people everywhere. God’s love is not limited or exclusive but universal and timeless.
I’m sure you’ve also heard of someone who has done great evil but who then – in prison – comes to Christ and is born again. How would you feel if somebody did that evil to you or your family? Could you love that person in Christ?
The message of Jonah challenges us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Also, as Jonah learned, we can NOT run away from God… a good thing and sometimes a frustrating thing.
Nonetheless, “God is not slow about His promise … unwilling that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Prayer: LORD, help me see others around me–no matter how they live or what they have done–as You see them. Amen.
Jonah 2:1-2
“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. 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!’” (NLT)
Everyone, even non-churchgoers, seems to know the story of “Jonah and the Whale.” They may miss the details and the WHY of this slightly weird story, but they don’t miss the man Jonah being inside a whale (or big fish) for three days!
But, the story as to WHY can be helpful.
First, Jonah was told by the LORD to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire that wanted to destroy Israel. Now, Jonah and his clan feared and hated Nineveh and the Assyrians. So, when God told him to go and share the good news about Him (Almighty God), Jonah ran the other way. He didn’t WANT to do the people of Nineveh any favors; he desired them gone and wiped from the earth, not learning about his Almighty Jehovah God.
If you’ve gone to church much of your life, you might find it a bit uncomfortable – as Jonah would have – if I were to remind you that God loves ALL people everywhere. God’s love is not limited or exclusive but universal and timeless.
I’m sure you’ve also heard of someone who has done great evil but who then – in prison – comes to Christ and is born again. How would you feel if somebody did that evil to you or your family? Could you love that person in Christ?
The message of Jonah challenges us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Also, as Jonah learned, we can NOT run away from God… a good thing and sometimes a frustrating thing.
Nonetheless, “God is not slow about His promise … unwilling that any should perish, but all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Prayer: LORD, help me see others around me–no matter how they live or what they have done–as You see them. Amen.
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