PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Jonah 1-2
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“I worship the Lord, the God of heaven.” (Jonah 1:9)
In this story, the Spirit challenges God’s people about their ‘worship’.
Jonah says he worships the Lord… so why is he running away (1:10)?
To worship is not just singing songs or just going to or belonging to a church.
It is to love, honour, trust and serve the God you say you worship.
God chose Israel to be a blessing to the nations (Genesis 12:1-3).
They loved being chosen, but did they love what they were chosen to do?
“I worship the Lord” say many Christians, yet do we run from the Lord’s calling?
As we find ourselves caught in the storms of life, we are asleep?
Is the institutional church today any different from Israel in that day?
Jonah’s hollow worship eventually led him into the depths, into ‘exile’ in a whale.
Israel also went into exile for not fulfilling its mission to the nations.
Many churches today would boldly say “we worship the Lord”… as they run away.
Nineveh today needs to hear and experience the Lord’s message of grace.
Jesus is sending us to Nineveh; which way are we heading?
PRAYER
Lord, Jonah needed a crisis to come to his senses. Is our current church crisis our own version of a whale, showing us how we’re going in the wrong direction?
Why am I here?
Jesus came to serve and I need to do the same. No matter where I am, I am always in the presence of the Lord God. I need to walk in that presence also today doing His will. He is my Provider in my pilgrim’s progress. Prayerfully I go forward on this new day serving Him as He leads and guides me along the Way. I need to walk in that SonShine this day that others my see that Christ Jesus lives in me.
Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart
And give Him praise, and give Him praise
Come into His presence with thanksgiving in your heart
Your voices raise, your voices raise
Give glory and honor and power unto Him
Jesus, the name above all names
“What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” Like the prodigal son, Jonah comes back. Both flee from responsibility – but in the end find that they need to make good. One has to learn from life’s experiences – good or bad – and see the hand of God or lack of God’s hand in it. I too need to make good – follow through on following Jesus – who intervened for me. Help me Lord as I continue down life’s pathway!