Jonah

The word of the Lord came to Jonah telling him to go to Nineveh, a violent city of Israel's enemies, and cry against it. Jonah went down to Joppa, paid the fare, and got on a ship to Tarshish, about as far the other direction as a man could go. A great wind came and the sailors cast lots and the lot fell on him, and he told them to throw him into the sea. A great fish swallowed him, and out of its belly he prayed and said salvation is of the Lord, and after three days and nights it vomited him onto dry land. The second time God spoke, he went. He preached eight words of judgment through the streets and the entire city, from the king down, put on sackcloth and turned from their evil. God spared them, and Jonah was furious, and told God this was exactly why he ran in the first place. He sat on a hill east of the city hoping to watch it burn, and God grew a gourd for his shade, killed it with a worm, and asked him whether he had more pity on a plant than on a hundred and twenty thousand people.

Why It Matters

You can run, but God is patient and He does not let go easily. And the people you would rather He judged are usually the ones He is asking you to go to.

One word, every week.

Scripture, reflection, and one thing to carry with you.