jonah

The book of Jonah is one of the shortest books in the Bible. Yet, something beneath the surface whispers to us, hinting that there is much more beneath this little book. (page iii)

Jonah can't see how Assyria could serve any useful purpose. How could this commission better Israel? Jonah might even fear that God will reverse His judgment against Nineveh. If that 'unchanging God' changes His mind about Nineveh's destruction, then Jonah's personal religion won't make sense. (Nu 23:19) The truth is, Jonah is not as overwhelmed by his new assignment as he is by his own small mindedness. (page 5)

The shark had never begged Jonah in order to get him swallowed; Jonah's own actions took him into the shark's belly! Failure may not chase after you, but when you miss your way, you will rather go chasing failure!

You can change direction if you feel like you have missed your way... Decide to do that now! Go back a little more and begin from where you missed it out! If only you are ready to rise again, you can make a right decision in that tight belly of the shark. Jonah did that earlier!

Today, a lot of people, businesses, countries and even churches have their dreams sleeping in the belly of the shark where they are starved because they chose the wrong path although they know the right destination! The consequence is "becoming uncomfortable" because you refuse to let your dreams go to let "Niviveh"!

After a few minutes, she speaks up again. __ou__e next. Sing.__nxiety grips Hallelujah__ chest, squeezing. __ don__ sing,_ she says.____on, it doesn__ matter if you__e bad. It__ not like this is a concert hall____he__ not bad._ Jonah__ back. __he has a great voice.__achel swings around to look from Jonah to Hallelujah. __eally? Now you have to____o."__ut____ don__ sing,_ Hallelujah repeats, turning away.Jonah joins them by the fire. The silence stretches out. Except it__ not really silent, not with the birds and wind and fire and how loud Hallelujah__ heart is beating. And then Jonah clears his throat. __ou used to sing,_ he says. __ou were great.__allelujah ignores the compliment. She looks into the fire. She feels the last of the day__ happiness fading away, already a memory.__hy__ you quit?_ Jonah asks. __as it __ause of Luke?__allelujah inhales deeply. She feels the familiar spark of anger in her gut. __es,_ she says. __t was because of Luke. And you. And everyone else. So thanks for that._ Jonah__ face drops. She can see that she__ hit a nerve. Well, he hurt her first. The way he took Luke__ side, shutting her out. The loss of his friendship, when she needed a friend most. The loss of their voices harmonizing, when she needed music most. How she just hurt him can__ begin to compare to all of that.

There is a payoff for examining the divine author's literary style. It will tell you something about Him. Whereas, Jonah's actions are extensively described and laboriously detailed, God's reactions (although miraculous) are only described in sparse, minimalist terms.God seems much more amused by Jonah than Jonah is with God. Every miracle is directed at Jonah. Yet, very little copy is used to described God's miracles. Although God's miracles are much more astonishing than Jonah's immature fits of rebellion, more copy is dedicated to Jonah.

Just as ceremonial fasting was a legitimate means for getting God's attention (Mt 6:16-18; Ac 13:2-3; 14:23), the casting of lots was a legitimate means for inviting God to intercede on a matter. (Pr 18:18) It was not expected that God should intervene every time (1Sam 28:6), but the ceremonial casting of lots was an invitation for God to participate in the final decision. (page 21)

Lord, make me less like Jonah and more like Jesus. Save me from being the kind of person who cares more about my comfort, my reputation, and my success than I do about the people You are calling me to serve. Help me to keep all of my dreams on Your altar and be ready at all times to respond with faith and obedience to Your call.

You have no excuse to give... Jonah prayed fervently even in the belly of the shark! Environment is not a barrier!

Everything about her always seemed to dance. Her lips as she spoke, her eyes as she laughed, even her hands as she made the cup of coffee I just ordered.

And suddenly I know I have to go. But this time without being chased by the Brigadier, without experiencing the kindness of a postman from Yass, and without taking along a Cadet who will change the way I breath for the rest of my life.

So how did you think about him?_ Rachel asks.Hallelujah shrugs. __e were friends. Good friends. He knew__nows__ lot about me. I guess I know a lot about him. Stuff he likes and doesn__ like.__achel looks skeptical. __nd yet you never knew he liked you.___o! I mean__hen Jonah and I were friends, I liked Luke. So maybe I missed some signs.___o you just . . . hung out? Platonically?___eah. I guess._ Hallelujah thinks about how to explain it. How to distill a friendship down to its most basic components. __e had choir together last year. We talked. For kind of the first time, even though we__ been in church and school together since fourth grade.___nd, what, you found out you had so much in common?___ctually, no. But we started comparing music we liked, and a month into ninth grade, Jonah made me this mix of songs. Based on what we__ talked about. So then I made him a mix. And it grew from there. We__ go to each other__ houses, watch movies, listen to music, that kind of thing. Hanging out.___o tell me about Jonah. Something only you know.___m. He__ probably deny it, but he got really into the Harry Potter books. Like, really into them. I loaned him my box set last spring. He got so mad at me for not warning him how Book Six ends.__achel laughs. __e didn__ see the movies?___o. But I told him we couldn__ watch them until he__ finished the books.

If I had to wish for something, just one thing, it would be that Hannah would never see Tate the way I did. Never see Tate's beautiful, lush hair turn brittle, her skin sallow, her teeth ruined by anything she could get her hands on that would make her forget. That Hannah would never count how many men there were, or how vile humans can be to one another. That she would never see the moments in my life that were full of neglect, and fear, and revulsion, moments I can never go back to because I know they will slow me down for the rest of my life if I let myself remember them for one moment. Tate, who had kept Hannah alive that night, reading her the story of Jem Finch and Mrs. Dubose. And suddenly I know I have to go. But this time without being chased by the Brigadier, without experiencing the kindness of a postman from Yass, and without taking along a Cadet who will change the way I breath for the rest of my life.

Thank you Jonah." He lowers his head at the break in my voice. I ignore the moisture in his eyes and pretend that mine don't sting. "For what?" he whispers. " For showing me that people can change. Even if it is one person out of a million.

I feel sorry for anyone who is in a place where he feels strange and stupid.

The world has a lot to offer. There__ a lot to explore. I like to take advantage of that.

The book of Jonah becomes an embarrassing and public reading of your family business. (page iii)