Post by Woody Williams on Mar 31, 2008 7:45:48 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Jonah 1:1-4, 7-10, 15-17
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Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Go at
once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their
wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah set out 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 his fare and went on
board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the
LORD.
But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty
storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up.
The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, so that we
may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’ So they
cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us
why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do
you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ ‘I
am a Hebrew,’ he replied. ‘I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who
made the sea and the dry land.’ Then the men were even more afraid,
and said to him, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew
that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had
told them so. So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and
the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD even
more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was
in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
Devotional
----------
When God calls us to serve in some capacity we may find ourselves
feeling like Jonah - "I want no part of this." We may try to flee but
God is persistent, even creating "storms of conscience" that bring us
to feel that we are on the brink of death. So it was with Jonah. He
found himself in swirling waters of death and then in the belly of a
great fish for three days and three nights. He had much time to
ponder again the request of the Lord and to trust his life to God's
call.
Prayer
--------------
Awaken my heart to hear your call to my life, Lord, and strengthen my
resolve to serve. Amen
----------
Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, ‘Go at
once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their
wickedness has come up before me.’ But Jonah set out 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 his fare and went on
board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the
LORD.
But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a mighty
storm came upon the sea that the ship threatened to break up.
The sailors said to one another, ‘Come, let us cast lots, so that we
may know on whose account this calamity has come upon us.’ So they
cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, ‘Tell us
why this calamity has come upon us. What is your occupation? Where do
you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?’ ‘I
am a Hebrew,’ he replied. ‘I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who
made the sea and the dry land.’ Then the men were even more afraid,
and said to him, ‘What is this that you have done!’ For the men knew
that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had
told them so. So they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea; and
the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD even
more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
But the LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was
in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
Devotional
----------
When God calls us to serve in some capacity we may find ourselves
feeling like Jonah - "I want no part of this." We may try to flee but
God is persistent, even creating "storms of conscience" that bring us
to feel that we are on the brink of death. So it was with Jonah. He
found himself in swirling waters of death and then in the belly of a
great fish for three days and three nights. He had much time to
ponder again the request of the Lord and to trust his life to God's
call.
Prayer
--------------
Awaken my heart to hear your call to my life, Lord, and strengthen my
resolve to serve. Amen