28 Jul, 2008
Big fish...big lesson!
Imagine being swallowed by a whale!
(Note: This is not an actual photo of Jonah being swallowed by the great fish sent by God...as far as we know, Jonah was not using snorkel gear.)
Photo courtesy images.google.com
Jonah 1:1-7
Jonah Flees the Presence of the Lord
1:1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” 3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
Jonah Is Thrown into the Sea
7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Jonah 1:15-17
15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
A Great Fish Swallows Jonah
17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:9-10
9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving
will sacrifice to you;
what I have vowed I will pay.
Salvation belongs to the Lord!”
10 And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.
Jonah 3:1-5
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
3:1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. (ESV)
What are some lessons we should learn from Jonah and the whale in today's God's Story scripture?
There's a bunch of possible lessons to learn here:
- God has a plan for each of us to serve Him
- God wants us to get the Word out about His loving message
- God knows us and sees us - You can't run away from God
- God is in control of all the elements around us
- God will use our actions (bad and good) to impact others around us
- God does amazing miracles
- God brings consequences when we disobey Him
- God hears our prayers
- God is full of compassion and forgiveness
- God is a God of second chances (sometimes third and fourth and...)
- God will do whatever it takes to get our attention
There's nothing "fishy" about God's commitment to us - He wants us to make Him the focus of our life story.
Just think of the incredible story we have to tell!
Like Jonah, we may try to find excuses to not tell others about God's Story, but....God will get our attention.
- Thank God for His commitment to you. Thank Him that He will do whatever it takes to get your attention on Him and His plan for your life. If you've been "running away" from God in any way recently, confess your attitude and thank Him for His compassion and forgiveness! Ask His Spirit to make your life a story to share with the world around you!
- For the next month or whatever, every time you see a fish, pray for God to keep showing you His plan for your life.
- Sit down with an older Christian and ask him or her to share their story with you. Find out what God used in their life to get their attention on Him and His plans for their life.
How can we connect today's story and God's Story scripture and our story to the lives of others?
Use today's photo and the story of Jonah and the whale to talk about your story with those in your storysphere who are really interested in God's Story. Tell them how there have been times when you have wanted to talk to them about your story being connected to God's Story, but you've been putting it off. Ask them if you can share your faith story with them? Tell them that your story may not seem as incredible as Jonah's story, but to God, it's just as important!
- November 2008 [12]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [13]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [19]
- November 2007 [16]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [10]
- May 2007 [12]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [11]
- June 2006 [3]
