July 9, 2015 – Jonah 1:1-3

The Lord spoke his word to Jonah son of Amittai: “Get up, go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it, because I see the evil things they do.” But Jonah got up to run away from the Lord by going to Tarshish. He went to the city of Joppa, where he found a ship that was going to the city of Tarshish. Jonah paid for the trip and went aboard, planning to go to Tarshish to run away from the Lord.  Jonah 1:1-3Has the Lord told you something in your heart to do something and you said, “No!”  That is what Jonah did.  He liked to say, “No!”  Sometimes after I do something I know I should not have, a little voice reminds me that was wrong.  If I say ‘NO’ loud enough, I don’t hear the tiny voice of God.  Jonah not only said ‘NO’ he ran away.  He thought he could hide in another country — across the sea.Jonah forgot that God knows what we think, what we do, where we are.  He made (created) the Heavens and the Earth and all that is in it.  A big storm with high waves rocked the boat, the men were afraid.  They thought they it was Jonah who caused the storm.  They threw him over into the giant waves.  The Lord God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah.  Jonah spent three days and nights inside the belly of the fish and prayed as he thought about his ‘NO’ to God.Jonah prayed to God and decided to change his ‘NO’ to ‘YES’ while in the big fish.  God caused the big fish to vomit Jonah out on dry land.  God again asked Jonah to go to Ninevah.  This time Jonah said ‘YES’.  God loves it when we say ‘YES’ to Him.So when you hear God speak, what will you say?  I hope it is ‘YES’!The Lord caused a big fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.   Jonah 1:17  — The Big Words – Amittah – (Ah-mitt’-ah )    Ninevah – (Nin’-ah-vah )  Joppa  – ( Jop’-ah) Tarshish (Tar’-shesh )