Jonah

Jonah has always been one of my favorites. I think because he is so raw. So understandable. So stinkin human. Maybe it's just me, but i can relate to this guy for some reason...And today his lovely little book was in our devotional reading here are the little bulletin points that i wrote in my journal;

-Jonah gets a word for a bunch of mean folks and decides that he doesn't want to visit them, so hide and seek with God sounds better. FYI to jonah: God always wins!

-The sailor bunch vow to follow God after seeing his great power in the storm ending as soon as they throw jonah over. 

-Jonah gets swallowed by a big fish. A Big Fish. He prays for 3 days and then gets spit up by this big fish... he heads to Nineveh.

- the WHOLE city of Nineveh repents(sackcloth and ashes) and fasts! Not even the animals were allowed to eat or drink!!! 

- Jonah gets a little selfish, loses perspective, and is set on being right. He climbs a hill to watch what will happen.

-God shows up and shows jonah His heart for lost people.

Last few verses of the book;

"10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”"

i have clearly i added the emphasis in that quote, but that thought just jumped off my page and sat in my lap. I live in a city just a tad bit smaller than Nineveh, but the thought is the same "living in Spiritual Darkness."

Isaiah 40:28 

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom."

this is what i want to say to my city Bend;

HEY! YOU ARE SLEEPING, LIVING IN SPIRITUAL DARKNESS! HAVE YOU NOT HEARD? THE LORD IS IS IS IS IS the only, amazing, loving, kind, gracious EVERLASTING GOD!!! HE WILL NOT GROW TIRED AND WEARY.... he's waiting for you. HE IS pursuing you. HOW long will you turn your head from the Sunset that displays his majesty? How long will you deny the breeze he sends to refresh you? How long will you be lulled to sleep my the song of the enemy? WAKE UP!!! Turn to God and receive his GRACE and MERCY!