But what God predicted through the mouth of all the prophets—that His Messiah would suffer—He has fulfilled in this way. Acts 3:18 (HCSB) Where we begin a journey is often just as important as where we end up. In fact, often where we begin determines where we end up. What tools and …
The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai Jonah 1:1 (HCSB) What great truth and wonder is found in these first few words of Jonah: “The word of the Lord came.” Has the Lord spoken into your life with his purpose and majestic love? In the Bible, the Lord …
“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me.” Jonah 1:2 (HCSB) Do you remember the most vile and disgusting thing that has ever confronted you? Maybe you stepped in something. Maybe it was your child being extremely sick. Maybe it was that bag of fruit which …
However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord’s presence. Jonah 1:3 (HCSB) Jonah didn’t much like what God had asked him to do. The Ninevites were the most brutal and terrifying nation in the ancient world. Their cruelty was legendary: the very name of them put fear into the hearts of …
The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Jonah 1:5 (HCSB) As God sent a mighty and violent storm upon the boat in which Jonah had fled, the sailors desperately tried to save themselves in two …
The captain approached him and said, “What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won’t perish.” Jonah 1:6 (HCSB) Whilst all hell was breaking loose above, Jonah was sleeping below. This part of the story should set memories ringing in …
He answered them, “I’m a Hebrew. I worship Yahweh, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” Jonah 1:9 (HCSB) There are few questions more important than that of identity: who are you? What defines you in your own eyes? What defines you in the eyes of others? As humans, we …
Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What is this you’ve done?” The men knew he was fleeing from the Lord’s presence, because he had told them. Jonah 1:10 (HCSB) The most famous sermon of all time—except the Sermon on the Mount—was by a British colonial evangelist named …
He answered them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea so it may quiet down for you, for I know that I’m to blame for this violent storm that is against you.” Jonah 1:12 (HCSB) Once again, parallels to the life of Jesus rise up above the waves of the …
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they couldn’t because the sea was raging against them more and more. Jonah 1:13 (HCSB) Here we see the sad truth of human nature. Jonah had already offered them a way to calm the storm and save themselves. All …