Weekly Devotion from Jesse

Monday, June 29     This Week
Week of:    Jun 21, 2009, Jun 14, 2009, Jun 7, 2009, May 31, 2009
Topics: DISCOVERING GOD'S WILL, FINDING GOD'S TRUTH, GETTING CLOSER TO GOD, GROWING IN YOUR FAITH, LEADERSHIP ROLES, TRIALS

DIFFICULT TO SWALLOW

Passage Of the Day:

“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help and you listened to my cry.”

Jonah 2:1-2 (New King James Version)

Insight - Application & Encouragement

From The Inside Of A Fish?
Maybe you have heard that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but actually the Bible just tells us that it was a great fish. It could have been a whale, or a shark, or something else. They are all present in the Mediterranean.
How could he survive? We know that there is up to 15 feet of room in the stomach of a large shark or whale. So plenty of elbow room for Jonah to stretch out in there. Also, we know that there is enough air present in the stomach of a fish to sustain Jonah too. Historically there have been accounts of people who have been swallowed and survived, but it was so long ago we don’t have great records of those instances.

What Did Jesus Think About Jonah?
In Matthew chapter 12, verses 39-41, Jesus told the crowds that they would not receive a miraculous sign from Him on that day. Instead, he pointed them to Jonah’s miracle. This statement does two important things:
1) Jesus affirms that Jonah really was swallowed by a great fish and then vomited onto dry land by that same fish three days later. It really happened.
2) Jesus uses Jonah’s experience to pint people to his own death and resurrection. There is a parallel example- both Jonah and Jesus were inside of the fish/the grave for three days before the reappeared. God’s miracle with Jonah was a preview of a greater miracle that would come hundreds of years later in the resurrection of Jesus.

A Quote:
“The splendor of a soul in grace is so seductive that it surpasses the beauty of all created things.” Thomas Aquinas



Application Questions:
1) Has there been a specific time in your life when God was taking away your pride?
2) Are there still areas of your life where you need more humility?
3) How has God built you back up and brought healing after a traumatic event?
4) When have you really experienced the grace of God- not just read about it.
5) Is God doing something new in your life this month- how would you describe it?
6) What are some ways that you think God would want you to show people His love in your city?


Deeper:
Psalm 40:1-17, Romans 5:3-5, Matthew 5:3-10, Proverbs 29:6, Psalm 142:1-7

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