Who is a God like you? Who forgives sin and pardons the rebellion of those who remain among his people? Who does not stay angry forever, but delights in showing loyal love?
Micah 7:18
INTO THE TEXT
Wonderful insight from the Love God Greatly Journal, p111
We are forgetful people. We can walk into a room and forget what we came to get. We forget a person’s name after they told us two minutes before. Part of this is because we’re so busy that we forget to focus. The biggest reason we forget is because we’re selfish. We spend our days thinking about our wants and needs and how we can build up our kingdoms. We forget who God is.
This is what happened to the people of Judah. They forgot who God is, so they turned toward serving themselves, building up their nation, and serving other gods. What did this leave them with? Brokenness and shame.
It can be easy for us to read about the people of Israel and Judah and criticize them. We can think, “How could you turn your back on God? Haven’t you seen how much He has done for you?” But if we stop and think about it, we are just like them. We make life all about us and forget who God is.
Micah 7:18 is a great verse to help us reorient our hearts. It reminds us of the character of God. He is unlike anyone or anything else in this world. He is merciful, gracious, loving, compassionate, and patient. The list could go on. When we meditate on the character of God, it helps us to turn our focus off our own selves and onto the One who is all and sustains all.
PRAYER
God, you are good, loving, patient, and sovereign. I can easily forget this and make life all about me. When I do this, help me orient my heart back to focusing on You. Amen.
He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.“
Micah 6:8
As we dive into chapter six of Micah, it’s important to remember that Micah has been addressing the problem God’s people were having with sin. Gotquestions.org explains that “the answer to Israel’s sin problem was not more numerous or more painful sacrifices. The answer was something much deeper than any religious observance: they needed a change of heart. Without the heart, Israel’s conformity to the Law was nothing more than hypocrisy.
While there are clearly some things God does not reveal to us in today’s passage, Micah makes it clear that God’s people, then and now, do not need to wonder about or act like they/we do not know what the Lord wants from us. He spells it out for us here and throughout Scripture so that we are without excuse.
The overall picture seems to be that God doesn’t want our hearts more than any other ‘thing’ we can offer Him.
We are to “carry out justice,” meaning we are to know what is right and wrong and do what is right. Gotquestions.org points out that this was particularly pointed at the judicial courts, “They had a responsibility to provide equity and protect the innocent,” The commentary goes on to say that “Injustice was a problem in Israel at that time.”
We are to “love mercy,” which involves “loyal love or loving-kindness,” which, as the commentary points out, “is foundational to God’s character. – This, of course, would indicate that He expects His people to show love to their fellow man and to be loyal in their love toward Him, just as He had been loyal to them.”
We are to “walk humbly” (aka: have a humble attitude toward God. “Instead of taking pride in what we bring to God, we humbly recognize that no amount of personal sacrifice can replace a heart committed to justice and love.”
The response of a godly heart is outward (do justice, inward (love mercy), and upward (walk humbly).
Got questions.org
“The message of Micah is still pertinent today. Religious rites, no matter how extravagant, can never compensate for a lack of love. External compliance to rules is not as valuable in God’s eyes as a humble heart that simply does what is right. God’s people today will continue to desire justice, mercy, and humility before the Lord.”
Prayer
God, thank you that all you ask of me is my heart. May I live fully surrendered to you each day and love others in response to your love. Amen.1
The More We Know
All quotes used today are from gotquestions.org unless otherwise noted.
SOAP Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to carry out justice, to love faithfulness, and to live obediently before your God.
INTO THE TEXT – from the journal, Our God Who Pursues / p107
Have you ever gotten something really wrong before? Maybe you’ve been listening to some music, singing along, and you realize that you really don’t know the words. You’ve been singing it wrong the whole time. Maybe you were on the way to your destination and realized you were going in the wrong direction. Though these are silly examples, Micah is addressing this concept here in the beginning of Micah 6.
The people of Israel and Judah had gotten their faith all wrong. They had started to look like the nations around them serving false gods and rejecting the true God: Yahweh. So God asks them, “What have I done to deserve this?” He lists out His faithful acts of rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12-15) and provision in the desert (Numbers 22-24). God had always been faithful. It was the people who had forgotten their God and refused to follow Him
What does God require of His followers? Micah tells us to carry out justice, love, and faithfulness and to live obediently to God. Essentially, God wants us to love Him and love others.
We can equate going to church or doing good things as the sum of following God. This is not the case. Yes, our actions can be indicators of who we follow and love, but God ultimately looks at our hearts.
If we have not trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and our hearts are not fully surrendered to Him, then our actions are meaningless. That’s because we will not be doing the good things for the glory of God but rather to impress Him and others or to feel proud about ourselves. Instead, God wants our actions to be done out of sincere devotion to Him and real love for the people around us. How short we fall of His standards if left to ourselves! We need to humbly ask Him for help so that we can increasingly love Him and others the way He wants us to. Love God and love others. It’s that simple.
PRAYER God, thank you that all you ask of me is my heart. May I live fully surrendered to you each day and love others in response to your love. Amen.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.
“O’ Little Town of Bethlehem” was always one of my favorite songs when I was growing up. It still brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. So, when I read chapter 5 of Micah, it drew me in. My mind pictures the scene of the little town that unknowingly welcomed the birth of a King, who lay wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger bed.
Micah 5:2 is a Messianic Prophecy that was actually quoted to the Magi; these wise men from the East were told that from the tiny village of Bethlehem would come forth the Prince of Peace, the Light of the world. Micah’s message of sin, repentance, and restoration finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins (Romans 3:24-25) and the only way to God (John 14:6).1
The Hope of a Rescuer
Knowing the people had previously received a message of exile and destruction, I can only imagine what a beautiful message of hope Micah’s words offered the people, one they desperately needed. As today’s journal entry points out, “We all need words of hope in this fallen world. Hope keeps us going, and it helps us to keep things in perspective.”
“We all need words of hope in this fallen world. Hope keeps us going, and it helps us to keep things in perspective.”
Our God Who Pursues/p99
The message would have reminded them not only of God’s faithfulness but of God’s “promise in the Garden (Genesis 3:15) that He would send a Rescuer to save people from their sins. Over time, God had been slowly revealing more and more of who this Rescuer would be and what He would be like. Now, God was showing where He was to be born.2“
A Ruler from Bethlehem: Little is much when God is in it
Jesus left all the grandeur of Heaven to come to Earth, where He was quietly and unobtrusively delivered into this little, “seemingly insignificant” town of Bethlehem. Yet from it, God brought King David and, ultimately, used it as the birthplace of His only begotten Son, the promised Messiah from David’s line. Actually, gotquestions.org says this about the little town: “As the City of David, Bethlehem became a symbol of the king’s dynasty.“- As an old song comes to mind as I write, entitled, “Little is much when God is in it.” We have read and seen evidence of this truth on the pages of God’s Word, and as believers, we have experienced the reality of the truth in our own lives – as His presence takes our sinful, insignificant lives and changes everything! Friends, this is the greatest gift we can ever receive – to know the presence of Christ in our lives, His forgiveness, love, and power. Without Him, we are nothing, lost with no hope, but by faith, we are filled with the Holy Spirit and can truly bear witness to the fact that Little is much when God is in it!
“Bethlehem, while diminished in importance to a humble village in New Testament times, remains distinguished above all other biblical cities as the place where our Savior Jesus Christ was born.”3
gotquestions.org
Prayer of Response
Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus, sent as a baby into that seemingly insignificant little town of Bethlehem. A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger certainly would not have seemed like a king or anyone of any significance – yet we worship Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He’s our rescuer proclaimed from ages past, the One in whom we have believed and received so great a salvation – the forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternity with You. The same King that we know will one day come again and take us to live with Him forever. Oh, what glorious Hope we have been given!
“Today, you may be facing great difficulties or challenges. You may be in a season where you have turned your black on God. Know that God still has a message of hope for you. That coming Rescuer has come. His name is Jesus. He brings a message of hope that you can be forgiven and free of your sins. He wants to give you an abundant life full of love, joy, and peace, lasting for eternity. All He asks for is your heart. Will you trust Him today?4“
Today’s journey through Micah reveals an unflattering picture of God’s people and disturbing news of what was to come. Israel’s leaders had forgotten the God whom they were committed to serve. Micah writes that they hated justice and perverted all that was right. They were building Zion through bloody crimes and Jerusalem through unjust violence. Legal cases were decided on bribes that the leaders received, even the priests proclaimed rulings for profit, and the prophets read omens for pay. As if this corruption was not bad enough, despite the fact that devastation and destruction were already wreaking havoc within the nation, the leaders continued to claim to trust the LORD and were telling the people, “The LORD is among us. Disaster will not overtake us!”
What About You?
We, too, face a similar choice. In a world that says that serving self and doing what seems right to you is the most important, we must, as Joshua told the people in his day, decide whom we will serve. Will we serve self or God? Take a moment to think about your own heart. Are you willing to set aside your wants and desires to follow what God may be calling you to? Are you willing to put others first over getting something you want? Is your heart’s desire to make the name of Jesus known over building your platform or building your own renown? It’s a choice we all must make.
Our God Who Pursues/LGG Journal p99
The hope of Future Days
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house will be the highest of all— the most important place on earth. It will be raised above the other hills, and people from all over the world will stream there to worship. 2 People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. 3 The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore 4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise! 5 Though the nations around us follow their idols, we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.
Admittedly, serving oneself or garnering the applause or approval of others can be pretty enticing. Goodness knows I have succumbed to those choices more than I care to admit, but I can tell you it generally led to disappointment or heartache. Choosing the Jesus Way isn’t always the easiest, most desirable, or most comfortable way, but it is most certainly the best way, for it leads to immeasurable blessings and joys.
As I wrote that last sentence, A group of women I used to lead on Sunday mornings came to mind. The name of our group was JOY, which stood for Jesus … Others … You. Seems like a great acronym for our focus today. Jesus first, then others, and then yourself. Whether it is in serving or living out our day-to-day lives, or even in our prayer lives, pay our eyes to stay on Jesus, the One we chose to follow.
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Luke 9:23-24
But I say love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Matthew 5:44
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Mark 12:29-31
Prayer of Response
Father, do not let us be like the leaders of Israel, who forgot their commitment to serve You and Your call on their lives to serve the people. Help me to remember Jesus’ similar call to let go of my life and follow Him. It isn’t always easy, but You knew that, and You sent the Spirit to empower us to do all that You have called us to do. Holy Spirit, keep my focus Heavenward, guard me from the distractions of this world and the enticements of the flesh. May I be known for living a J.O.Y.-focused life: Keeping Jesus first in all things and serving and loving others before myself. In the name of Jesus – I pray and believe – Amen!
I am always amazed—perhaps stunned is a better word—when I read about Jonah’s displeasure with God. I understand, and have experienced, disappointment with something God has allowed or not allowed before. However, in this case, Jonah had just cried out to God, repented, and been rescued from certain death. Not only that, but he was given a second chance to obey the LORD by going to Nineveh to deliver the LORD’S message. Yet, now Jonah is angry because God gave the people of Nineveh a chance to repent and spared their lives when they did. So great was Jonah’s displeasure that he cried out, “Kill me instead.”
~ God’s grace in salvation can take the worst of offenders, the worst of angry people, the worst of cheaters and liars and make them whole and brand new. Their sins can be forgiven if they respond to repentance and faith. We wonder if that’s really fair.
We may say that we are thankful that God’s grace is so great, but we hesitate when it comes to God forgiving those who have hurt us or wronged us. In those cases, we would really prefer justice to be done. We may think, “? After all they’ve said and done to us, how could they just be forgiven?”
LGG Our God Who Pursues/p83
I particularly love the second part of this chapter; It is such a wonderful illustration of God’s compassionate heart and His very personal involvement in our lives, not only for His children but also for those who do not know Him. Look again at the story – God sent a plant to shade Jonah as he waited to see the fate of the city, He sent a worm to destroy the plant, and a hot east wind. Scripture says, “the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life and declared, ‘I would rather die than live!'”
God’s reply is a great teachable passage, as He points out to Jonah that he had not worked for the little plant or done anything to make it grow, yet was upset because it grew up overnight and died the next day. He draws a line of comparison with a question that rebuked Jonah for his misplaced anger, asking: “Should I not be more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong…”
Let’s remember that God pursued not only Jonah but the people of Ninevah as well. I find this to be a reminder that God loves His enemies (Romans 5:8-10), and He calls us to do the same (Matt.5:44).
Reflection: How can we rejoice when God saves us but be angry when He also goes after those who we deem too far gone/not worthy?
Prayer
Father, help us to faithfully carry/share Your message of repentance and salvation with the world around us. Do not let us forget that Jesus’ death on the cross was necessary because of our sins as well as theirs. Cause us to remember that our sin is an offense to Your holiness, yet in Your grace, You chose to make a way for all to be forgiven – even me. When we are tempted to judge and weigh sins against someone else, may we remember the cost of our salvation and the great grace granted to us despite how undeserving we are. Thank You that Your character never changes. Thank You that salvation is by Your grace and not because it is deserved, yet You still welcome us in as Your children through faith in Jesus. And please, help me see others the way You see them. – Amen~1
Prayer adapted from the journal entry and prayer on p83 of Our God Who Pursues↩︎
Based on the LGG study, Our God Who Pursues, w2d4/p79
Jonah 3:5 The people of Nineveh believed in God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.
Let’s recap what led up to the people’s repentance. Jonah was told to go, instead he ran the other way and ended up in the belly of a great fish, rescued by God and now restored to be told, once again, “Go to Nineveh and proclaim the message of the LORD.” Jonah then went throughout the city – “announcing, ‘At the end of forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!’”
The following is another wonderful commentary by the team off Love God Greatly about the adventures of Jonah in the third chapter.
INTO THE TEXT How many times have you said or thought of someone you know, “They’ll never change. What’s the point?” It can be exhausting to hope for something different in a person when they’ve never shown any sign of a desire to change. Jonah felt this strongly when he finally made it to Nineveh.
Even though Jonah just had this incredible experience of salvation from God, we see that his attitude toward the people of Nineveh hadn’t changed at all. We read in verse four that Jonah proclaimed a message of repentance to the Ninevhites. In Hebrew, the message was only five words. As we’ll see tomorrow, Jonah secretly hoped that God would not be merciful with this wicked nation.
Here’s the thing. When we proclaim the gospel, it is not about us. It’s not about how eloquent, winsome, or persuasive we can be. It’s not about how long our message is. It’s about God and the Holy Spirit’s movement in a person’s heart. God can use anyone and any moment to open a person’s eyes to the truth of the gospel. After all, Jonah’s message was quite short. Yet, God, in His kindness, still chose to use Jonah’s words to transform the entire city.
In Jonah’s eyes, there was absolutely no hope or no reason to expect the Ninevites to change, but God is greater. No one is ever too far gone. As Jonah just experienced, God can rescue anyone, even from the darkest depths.
God has called all believers to be part of His rescue mission through Jesus Christ. We have the opportunity to proclaim the good news of the gospel to all those around us whether they are far or near to God.
PRAYER
God, thank you that you are a merciful God. You rescued me from sin, and you can rescue anyone, no matter what they’ve done. Help me to faithfully proclaim your gospel wherever I go. Amen.
Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. 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!
Jonah 1:17-2:2
These beautiful words, highlighting today’s portion of our study, are from today’s LGG journal entry.
Into The Text
Jonah was at the lowest point of his life, both literally and figuratively. It would have been easy for him to blame God and grow bitter. Instead, Jonah recognized that it was his own actions that led him to this place in the belly of a great fish. Notice what Jonah does. He cries out in prayer. Jonah pours out his heart before the Lord. His prayer is raw and honest. And what does God do? He hears and answers.
In our darkest valleys, God hears our prayers. He cares for us and responds, though it may not be immediate or in the way we expect. But He always hears.
For some, you may find yourself in a pit due to your own actions. If so, call out to Jesus. He wants to have a relationship with you. There is no sin that is too great for the cross and grace of Christ. All you have to do is pray in faith, asking for forgiveness.
God is in the business of redeeming that which was lost or that which is stuck in the pit. Your lowest moments or seasons of life will not be wasted. There is hope found in Jesus.
For others, you may find yourself in a pit due to hard life circumstances or the actions of others. Know that you are not alone. You have not been forgotten. These seasons feel long and weary, but it is not the end of your story. David writes in Psalm 23 that “even when I must walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me” (23:4). Cry out to God in your hurt and pain. It will not catch Him off guard. Depend on Him to give you strength for each day.
Jonah’s prayer realigned his heart back to God so that he would be ready to faithfully follow God’s call to go to Nineveh. May your prayers today bring you peace and trust in the only place where true life is found, in Christ. As Jonah’s story wasn’t over, yours is not either.
My Prayer of Response
Father, thank You for the testimonies you bring from hardships and tragedies. Thank You for letting us see how You can work things together for good even through or despite our bad choices and situations. Thank You that this isn’t just a story but that it is truth played out on the pages of Your Word, in the lives of Your people bearing witness to who You are and the miraculous things You can do! May we be quick to share the testimonies of Your people and of the work You have and are doing in our own lives. In the mighty name of Jesus – Amen!
The More We Know
For more insight into today’s passage, read today’s LGG Blog Post
And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”Jonah 1;12
Have you ever tried to run from God’s will for your life? If you have, you have most likely found yourself in a similar situation to Jonah’s. As the Psalmist discovered, we can run from God, but we cannot hide from Him. This has been true from the beginning in the Garden of Eden and is still true today. Fleeing from God’s presence or something He is calling us to do is simply not advisable.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
Psalm 139:7-12
Even on a merchant ship in the middle of the sea, Jonah could not escape God. Why? Because God pursues us. In Jonah’s case, He sent a powerful wind and stirred up the sea, which threatened to destroy the ship. While Jonah was sound asleep in the inner parts of the ship, the sailors were above deck crying out to their god. When the ship’s captain found Jonah sleeping and not praying, he woke him and ordered him to pray, hoping that perhaps Jonah’s God would respond and keep them from perishing. Eventually, as was customary, lots were cast to see who was at fault for the danger they were in, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah wasn’t ashamed of the LORD – He just didn’t want to go to Nineveh.
Me from the inside-out🦋
When Jonah was questioned about everything from his occupation to who His people were, he replied to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Needless to say, this reply and the fact that He had already told them that he was running from the LORD brought even more concern. So, when the storm continued to grow in intensity, they asked Jonah what should be done to him to calm the sea – and because he knew his actions had created the danger, Jonah said, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea.”
While I know the story of Jonah, I had either forgotten or simply hadn’t learned that the sailors didn’t want to throw him into the sea. Instead, they tried to row back to land; but because the LORD was pursuing Jonah their efforts to spare him proved impossible – and they cried out, “Oh, please, LORD, don’t let us die on account of this man! Don’t hold us guilty of shedding innocent blood. After all, you, LORD, have done just as you pleased.” Then they picked him up and threw him into the sea, and it stopped raging.
I love that Scripture records that they first tried to row back to the shore before they gave in to the only other option. It bears witness to the fact that neither Jonah, nor the crew were in control – God was, and they knew it.
I have found that the LORD often uses our struggles in this life to garner not only our attention but the attention of those around us. As we will see throughout the rest of our journeey with Jonah, this truth is the reality behind the words of James 1:2-4.🦋
Prayer
Father, may I never again from Your calling or seek to escape Your presence. i am horrified to think of all the times I have hidden from You or allowed myself to be engulfed by my own desires. Thank You for redeeming grace and Your faithful pursuit of me. Thank You for the faith that has come from the “whales” of my life and for the hope that You will use it all for Your glory. Blessed be Your Holy Name! 💜
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.”
3But 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
God’s Plan ~vs~ Jonah’s Plan
My journal entry today consisted of two columns on either side of the page, which contained the passage for today’s journey. One column included God’s plan, the other Jonah’s. When I finished the plans mapped out from the Scripture, I connected them with the words: Nineveh-vs-Tarshish. However, I could have easily written God’s plan vs Jonah’s or God’s plan vs man’s … or, for that matter, God’s plans vs mine. Regardless of the tagline we give today’s study, it is a clear reminder that we have a choice to make –> follow ‘our’ will/plan or align ‘our’ will/plan with God’s and faithfully follow where He leads/sends.
God’s Plan
God sent a very specific message to Jonah
The message included:
a time frame: immediately
a location/people
a cause/purpose
God noticed their wickedness
to announce judgment
Jonah 1:1-2
Jonah’s Plan
Jonah’s plan was to escape God’s commission of Him for Nineveh
he immediately headed to Tarshish
by way of Joppa and a merchant ship
he paid to get far away from the LORD
Jonah 1:3
God’s Call of His People
Throughout the Bible, we read of God calling His people to places or tasks or simply to trust Him. God called… Noah to build an ark1, Abraham to leave all he knew and father a great nation2, Moses to lead His people out of bondage3, Joshua to bring down the walls of Jericho4, and He called Hosea to “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.5..”. The list of what God has called/led/sent His people to do goes on and on, but the greatest example of difficult and seemingly impossible callings/plans is the one God gave Jesus, His only begotten son, who was sent6 to save His people from their sins. God didn’t send Him in a hero’s cape or kingly crown, but as a baby born of a virgin. God sent Jesus to take on flesh, experience threats, troubles, and temptations of this world, teach, preach, heal and die on a cross for the sins of the world and rise again the third day – crushing the enemy! It was just as God had announced in the Garden (Genesis 3:15)7.
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Genesis 3:15
The Importance of God’s Callings
It isn’t my point to contrast or compare these callings, but to help us remember the many callings of God throughout the Scriptures and see their importance. Jonah’s story is one of these and is equally a great example of the lengths to which He will go to pursue His people, reach them with the message of repentance, and save them from their sins.
More than a Whale
On our journey this week, we will follow Jonah from Tarshish to Nineveh. We will see that Jonah’s story is more than that of a whale. It is the saga of disobedience and revival. It is a beautiful picture of how our personal revival isn’t just about or for us but rather how God will be glorified and use our obedience to revive others from death to life.
Disobedience and revival are the key themes in this book. Jonah’s experience in the belly of the whale provides him with a unique opportunity to seek a unique deliverance, as he repents during this equally unique retreat. His initial disobedience leads not only to his personal revival, but to that of the Ninevites as well. Many classify the revival which Jonah brings to Nineveh as one of the greatest evangelistic efforts of all time.
gotquestions.org
What is God Calling You to Do?
Friends, God still calls His people to serve Him and share Him today. Do you know what He wants you to do? Are you doing it? Whether it is to serve as a greeter, a nursery worker, a teacher, preacher, musician/singer, encourager, accountant, or doctor… He has called all of His children8 to love Him, love others as Jesus loved us, and go and make disciples9.
Want to know why we should pay attention to God’s calling on our lives? Visit the links below and dig deeper into the purpose and importance of God’s commissioning of His people.
Prayer
Father God, Thank You for the story of Jonah and for the reminder that we are to be prepared with a faithful yes – regardless of what You call us to do or where You commission us to go. Help us to not run away from You but towards You, knowing that You will lead us, help us, and strengthen us for the tasks and trusting that You will be glorified in our obedience. As we continue throughout the week, may all those whose eyes fall upon this page be led to a personal revival and used to revive those around them with the truth of Your Word, love, and promises. – In Jesus’ Name ~ Amen!
Me From the Inside Out 