Have you ever been in a situation when you knew God wanted you to do something, but instead of obeying Him, you tried to hide?

Jonah was the person who had tried to refuse God’s call but later got angry when God didn’t do what he expected. Despite Jonah’s resistance, God used Jonah to demonstrate His mercy to Nineveh.

Through Jonah’s story we see that God goes to great lengths to pursue His people and that he responds with compassion and forgiveness when they return to Him.

It’s clear that leaving God’s presence makes things worse.
Also, remember God’s compassion is boundless!!!

Licy John, Hyderabad – 7067

Are you a Jonah…???

“Then Jonah prayed… out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heardest my voice” (Jonah 2:1-2).

Here we find Jonah praying for the first time. Before deciding to sail to Tarshish he didn’t pray – though sailing, in those days, was a matter of life and death. When the ship was struck by a “mighty tempest” and all the heathen mariners were crying to their gods, their worshipper of Jehovah did not pray; nay, it did not even wake him out of his deep sleep!

Then the mariners began casting lots to catch the culprit. Jonah knew he would be caught and would face terrible consequences. But even this did not move his hardened heart to pray. As expected, “the lot fell upon Jonah” and he was caught. Jonah’s heart was harder than rock – he still did not seek God’s face for deliverance.

It seems, despite all this, the Lord, in His mercy, was determined to bring him back to his prayer life that was long lost in his self-will. Jonah was then bound, and was about to be thrown into the raging sea to face a horrible death. But alas, Jonah seemed determined not to pray! This stubborn saint was finally thrown into the sea. Now that all he could expect was a watery grave, did he pray? No, he still did not pray! How stubborn! Even the worst person would have prayed in such a hopeless state!

However, our God did not give up on Jonah – in His effort to make him pray.The Lord prepared a large fish to swallow Jonah. In the belly of the fish, it appears, poor Jonah thought he was already in hell. “Out of the belly of hell cried I.” Now he cries and prays!

“Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear –
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!”

Dear reader, how is your prayer life? If you don’t come back to your first prayer life, God may have to bring you to a hell-like situation, to teach you to cry and pray! Selah.

• TPM Morning Manna.

Stay Blessed 😊
Ravi

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
Jonah 2:8-9 “Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love, but as for me, I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. I will fulfill what I have vowed. Salvation is from the Lord!”

The four chapters in the book of Jonah, explains the four different phases with God.

In chapter 1, Jonah is running away from God.
In chapter 2, he is running to God.
In chapter 3, he is running with God.
And, in chapter 4, he is running ahead of God.

I believe that in our Christian lives we all go through these phases as coaches and athletes.

In chapter 1, God asks Jonah to go to Nineveh and “preach against it.” But, instead Jonah hops on a ship for Tarshish in the complete opposite direction.

How many times has this happened in our personal lives?

In chapter 2, we find Jonah in the belly of the fish, praying to get out.
This happens to all of us when we realize that we have sinned.

We sincerely and quickly ask God to correct us. In this phase we are running toward God.

In chapter 3, Jonah goes to Nineveh and does everything that the Lord commanded him to do. This is where God wants all of us to be: running with Him!
I’m sure we’ve all been here at times, and we wish we could remain here.
This is the phase in which we are obeying Him and doing everything for His glory.

In chapter 4, Jonah becomes greatly displeased with God.
He is angry because God has allowed the people of Nineveh to be saved.

How many times does this happen to us?

We might say, “ Why did they succeed even though they are doing nothing in God’s Kingdom?
………. “Why did You let them win, God?”
They shouldn’t have won.

Remember, we do everything for His honor and glory. It is not just about us!

Let’s check ourselves,…
……… Which phase of Jonah are we right now?

What can we do today to ensure that we are running with God?

Jooley Mathew Z🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺