Scripture: Jonah 3:10 - 4- 6
When you hear someone say Jonah and…
What are the words that follow?
The Whale, of course!
Jonah and the Whale. Even if you do not know much about scripture, in our culture you know this phrase. Just like peanut butter and jelly; salt and pepper; Batman and Robin.
(Actually, in the small book of Jonah – when a large ocean creature is mentioned – it is simply “fish” not whale.)
I want to challenge us to change our phrase..
The powerful message of Jonah is not Jonah and the Whale.
It is Jonah and God’s Mercy.
It is not Jonah in the Whale.
It is Jonah in God’s Mercy.
Today I invite you into the story of Jonah as invitation to encourage You in prayer:
1) God invites us into ONGOING dialogue with him
2) God is with us when we are resistant & reluctant
3) God is with us even in our worst moments & our darkest moments
4) God is with us in our courageous & our Yes moments
5) God is dynamic – not static
6) When we spend time with God we discover MORE of God’s mercy and compassion – not less.
Many of the books of the prophets contain more oracles and proclamations from God than Jonah. It is less story and the lives of the prophets are the subtext
I love the book of Jonah because it is different.
IT is a story of a man on a journey – often going the wrong way! (just like us)
It is a story with weird, unexplainable elements – and therefore meets us in the places of life where we can only summarize to say – that was weird
IT is a story of someone who is far from perfect.
IT is a story about a relationship between God and Jonah
IT is a story about God’s relationship with the larger world.
IT is a story that invites us to enter in at the end and say, “how will we respond to God’s mercy and grace?”
It is a story that reveals God is FOR Creation and not against it.
Take time this week to dialogue with God. I am confident you will be amazed by God’s grace, mercy, and love.