Episode 166

The familiar story of Jonah and the big fish inspired today’s declaration, and I believe speaking it will empower your tongue with truth. Jonah turned away from God, spent three days in the belly of a fish, was vomited onto the shores of the city he did not want to go to, and then reluctantly preached to its inhabitants who he hated. Some say this Bible story shows that our God is a God of second chances, which is true. But this story also shows us He is a God of unconditional love.

When my small group was working our way through this story, my husband called out something I’d never noticed. He said, “God loved Jonah or he wouldn’t have provided that plant.”

Stunned, I said mumbled to myself, “God loved Jonah. Jonah!” That seems obvious because God loves all his children, but God actively loved a prophet who was grumbling. Steve pointed out that God saw that the shelter Jonah had built for himself wasn’t good enough, and so he provided that leafy plant.

Wow. God loved Jonah, an angry, disobedient, grumbling man who hardly deserved the shady plant, let alone the loving correction of Father God, who also sent a worm to teach Jonah a valuable lesson.

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This week’s scripture: Jonah 3:10-4:9