Reading Jonah, I felt I had a new pair of eyes. I hadn't noticed a lot of this story before. I recognized a lot of Jonah's characteristics in myself. I laughed yet identified with Jonah as he ran away from the Lord's calling to preach in chapter 1. And then I really identified with him when his world seemed to be falling apart around him, not only affecting him but the crew and those around him. When Jonah was brought to knees in prayer in the belly of the fish, he prayed such a heartfelt prayer full of repentance and promise: 7 As my life was slipping away, I remembered the LORD. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. 8 Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. 9 But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the LORD alone.” What I love the most about the book of Jonah though is that when he prophesied to the city of Ninevah, the people listened. They repented. They sought God and He relented and had compassion on the city. What if Jonah never prophesied to Ninevah? What if

I am really starting to notice a theme in these postings. I have been really drawn to verses that show God's faithfulness and His constant presence in our lives. This week is not the same, from Lamentations 3: 22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord. And then again in Ezekiel, I marked this verse from chapter 34: 16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick

Another verse that I love to keep in mind is from Isaiah 55: 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. No matter my circumstances or how frustrated I am at the condition of the lives around me, I try to remember this verse. Knowing that I only see this moment, the right now, and not the end all purpose that God has planned is so encouraging! I remember an analogy Jon Courson once used, life is like a parade. We are the spectators, only seeing each individual float go by but God is up in the helicopter, seeing the big picture, seeing not only beginning and the middle but the end too. And to continue into the second book of our reading last week, Jeremiah, this thought continues. While His ways are higher than mine, I am also encouraged by who He is and why His ways are always going to be just: 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the

The biggest problem for this high flying, speeding trip through the Bible is I miss the breaks between the chapters. The quick breaths in between the Psalms, for example. After each Psalm I want to take a breath and reflect on David's words. I did pinpoint one psalm in particular that drew my attention though

The first time I read the book of Job I thought it was so depressing and I think I must have skimmed through most of it just to get through to Psalms! This time through was totally different! I felt like I identified so much more with Job, crying out "WHY?!" So many questions run through my head but can be summed up in that one word, why? There were quite a few verses I marked as I was reading, to remember Job's reaction to the disasters that had happened to him