September 12, 2022 8:00 pm
Michael was diving for lobster when a humpback whale caught him in its mouth. He pushed back in the darkness as the whale’s muscles squeezed against him. He thought he was done. But whales don’t prefer lobstermen, and thirty seconds later the whale spit Michael into the air. Amazingly, Michael had no broken bones—only extensive bruises and one whale of a story.
He wasn’t the first. Jonah was swallowed by “a huge fish” (Jonah 1:17), and he stayed in its belly three days before being vomited onto land (2:1, 10). Unlike Michael, who was caught by accident, Jonah was swallowed because he hated Israel’s enemies and didn’t want them to repent. When God told Jonah to preach in Nineveh, he caught a boat going the other way. So God sent a whale-sized fish to get his attention.
I appreciate why Jonah hated the Assyrians. They’d harassed Israel in the past, and within fifty years they would carry the northern tribes into captivity where they would vanish forever. Jonah was understandably offended that Assyria might be forgiven.
But Jonah was more loyal to the people of God than to the God of all people. God loved Israel’s enemies and wanted to save them. He loves our enemies and wants to save them. With the wind of the Spirit at our backs, let’s sail toward them with the good news of Jesus.
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Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. I'm Mike Whitmer and I titled our reading, Whale of a Story. Michael was diving for lobster when a humpback whale caught him in its mouth. He pushed back in the darkness as the whale's muscles squeezed against him.
He thought he was done. But whales don't prefer lobstermen and 30 seconds later the whale spit Michael into the air. Amazingly, Michael had no broken bones, only extensive bruises and one whale of a story.
He wasn't the first. Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish and he stayed in his belly three days before being vomited onto land. Unlike Michael, who was caught by accident, Jonah was swallowed because he hated Israel's enemies and didn't want them to repent. When God told Jonah to preach in Nineveh, he caught a boat going the other way, so God sent a whale-sized fish to get his attention. I appreciate why Jonah hated the Assyrians.
They'd harassed Israel in the past and within 50 years they'd carry the northern tribes into captivity where they'd vanish forever. Jonah was understandably offended that Assyria might be forgiven. But Jonah was more loyal to the people of God than to the God of all people. God loved Israel's enemies and wanted to save them.
He loves our enemies and wants to save them. With the wind of the Spirit at our backs, let's sail toward them with the good news of Jesus. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Jonah chapter 2, verses 1-10. I said, I have been banished from your sight.
Yet I will look again toward your holy temple. The engulfing waters threatened me. The deep surrounded me. Seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down.
The earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I avowed, I will make good. I will say, salvation comes from the Lord.
And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, please show us how to love our enemies as you love them. Thank you, Lord. It's in your name we pray. Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-02-26 07:31:09 / 2023-02-26 07:32:39 / 2
