Jonah 1-4

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1. The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai:

2. "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

3. But Jonah ran awya from teh LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

4. Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

5. All the sailors were afriad and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep dleep.

6. Then captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish."

7. THen teh sialors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell of Jonah.

8. So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"

9. He answered. "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heave, who made the sea and the dry land."

10. This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was runing away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.

11. The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

12. "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

13. Instead, the men did thier best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.

14. Then they cried out to the LORD, "Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased."

15. Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.

16. At this thje men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

17. Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

It really is simple to live how we are supposed to live-in obedience to our LORD. It's simple, not not easy. We have our thoughts, our ways we want to argue against that of God's plans. And that's when trouble happens. Let us stop thinking and arguing against God's orders. Let us stop making excuses! Our heart knows what is right, and let us not flee from it. Know that God loves us more than we love ourselves. Trust Him and OBEY.

1. From the inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.

2. He said: "In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry.

3. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.

4. I said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again  toward your holy temple.'

5. The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me ; seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, LORD my God, brought me life up from the pit.

7. "When my life was ebbing away, I remembers you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you,to your holy temple.

8. "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them.

9. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the LORD.'"

10. And the LORD comanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

What a blessing and grace to be able to seek the LORD when in time of trouble! Our God is love!

1. Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:

2. "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to ti the message I give you."

3. Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.

4. Jonah began by going to day's journey into the city, proclaiming, "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown."

5. The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6. When Jonah's warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose form his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.

7. THis is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink.

8. But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and thier violence.

9. WHo knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fiece anger so that we will not perish."

10. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their eveil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

1. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.

2. He prayed to the LORD, "Isn't this what I said, LORD, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

3. Now, LORD. take away my life, for it is better for me to die that to live."

4. But the LORD replied, "Is it right for you to be angry?"

5. Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city.

6. Then teh LORD God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant.

7. But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered.

8. When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, "It would be better for me to die than to live."

9. But God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" "It is," he said. "And I'm so angry I wish I were dead."

10. But the LORD said, "You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight.

11. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell thier right hand from their left-and also many animals?"

Yes, it is important and crucial to obey to the LORD, however in the midst of obeying Him, our hearts must be reflecting God's purpose. This way we will be able to obey in gladness and happiness!!!

God is love. Yes He is just, but that is also out of love. Just as God said: "Is it right for you to be angry", I have no right to be, because I myself had been saved when I was a sinner! God, help me to grow up and obey: "love your enemies". In Jesus name, Amen!