I think Jonah is my new favorite book of the Bible. What can I say? I can relate to the guy. Toward the end of the book it says he wanted to die and gave the reason, but I'd imagine that wasn't the first time he felt that way. There were probably all kinds of things that depressed him, not that he was suicidal, but that he was ready to go as soon as God would take him. At the beginning of the book when God told him to go to Ninevah he was less than enthused, in fact he ran in exactly the opposite direction of where God told him to go. ... done that. check and check. God took me to & through a dark place emotionally to bring me closer to Him as He did with Jonah throwing him in the belly of a whale.
When he finally did what God asked, taking a message of destruction to Ninevah unless they repented, the people immediately sought God's forgiveness and turned from evil. Success, right?? Jonah was angry at God that He didn't destroy the people. Then God showed him how ridiculous he was acting by causing a vine to grow to shade him from the hot sun and the next day killed it. Jonah was again angry at God for killing the vine that gave him comfort. Isn't that how we all are? More concerned with our comfort than we are with the lives of others? I'm not talking about the lives of loved ones I'm talking about the lives of people in general: people in need; who need Christ, need food, need clothing, need Love, who need compassion... We can provide for others, we can provide something. We can all give. People are most important.
compassion international
mercy ships
danita's children
your local food pantry
your local homeless shelter
take a bag lunch to the homeless man you pass everyday and tell him Jesus Loves him
perform a random act of kindness (read 'You Were Made for This')
we can all give... even if we can only afford a jar of peanut butter once a wk for a food pantry. Ask God what He wants you to give.
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