Jonah, also known as the fish guy, was a prophet. God told him to preach to the people in Ninevah because they were wicked. Jonah got on a boat headed in the opposite direction instead. There was a big storm (because God was angry with Jonah) so they threw him overboard. God sent a big fish to swallow him so he didn't drown. After three days the fish puked him up on the beach. Now I don't know what kind of fish it was, or if it was a whale (though technically they are mammals, not fish) - that's not important.
That's not where the story ends though. Jonah did go and preach in Ninevah and the people repented and followed God. Jonah was so mad he chucked a tantrum and was angry because God showed them mercy and forgave them. He reminds me of the prodigal son's older brother. He was mad because his dad welcomed back his brother after he had wasted his inheritance. The moral of the story:
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The following verses tell us that God is near to the brokenhearted, to those who call on him and those who come near to him.
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call on him. James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. We don't always feel near to God but the Bible says that he will never leave us. God is so close that he is living in us. 1 John 4:13 says, We know that we live in God and God lives in us. We know this because he gave us his Spirit. We come near to God by spending time reading the Bible and talking to him in prayer. CHALLENGE: Do you feel close to God right now? If not, what are you going to do about it? Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. We are first introduced to her in Exodus 2:4 when Moses' mother hid him in a basket because Pharaoh was trying to kill all the Israelite baby boys. Miriam watched the basket to see what would happen.
Our second encounter with Miriam is in Exodus 15:20-21 when the Israelites were celebrating escaping from the Egyptians. Verse 21 refers to Miriam as a prophetess. She is the first woman in the Bible to be given this title. Unfortunately, Miriam and her brother, Aaron, became proud and were jealous of Moses. When they complained about him God heard them and struck Miriam down with a skin disease. She had to stay outside the camp for 7 days until she was clean again. What can we learn from Miriam? Be humble. |
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