Daily Bible Devotionals

“So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’ Then God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ And he said, ‘It is right for me to be angry, even to death!’ But the Lord said, ‘You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?’” Jonah 4:5-11 (NKJV)

To understand the tension between the Lord and Jonah, it helps to review God’s purpose for the Jewish people. God’s plan was never to quarantine a nation of “chosen” people apart from everyone else. God’s purpose for the Jews was to be a nation of “priests,” through which all the other nations of the world would see how God can transform & sustain a people. Gentiles were to observe God’s interaction with the Jews, hear their testimony about the Lord, and, in turn, worship Him alone.  

“And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now, therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:3-6 (NKJV)

The vine, which grew up over Jonah, was symbolic of the Lord’s promise of blessing to Israel, but the vine dried up because sin had “wormed” its way onto Jonah’s (and Israel’s) theology, to the point where he had forsaken God’s true calling of being a ‘priest to the nations.’  

“But everyone shall sit under his vine and his fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all people walk each in the name of his god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.” Micah 4:4-5 (NKJV)

“Jonah” is not only a story of how a man forgot his true calling. It is also a warning and a challenge to us Christians who have received the same calling!

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

“Then God saw their actions – that they had turned from their evil ways – so God relented from the disaster He had threatened to do to them. And He did not do it.”  Jonah 3:10 (HCSB)

Jonah, being a prophet, was very aware of God’s message to Nineveh. He knew that Assyria’s army had been defeated, and he was aware that from their humbled state, Nineveh would quite possibly repent and admit that YHWH was the only true God.

Before we cast stones at Jonah, let’s put ourselves in his shoes. Imagine a street gang terrorizing your neighborhood. Suppose that the gang members had even harassed people close to you, perhaps killing a member of your family.

After all that, how would you respond if God told you to share the gospel with them? What if God told you He was hoping the gang members would repent so He could show His grace to them, allowing them to escape the justice they deserved? Would you answer God’s call or let Him roll to spiritual “voice mail”?

This was Jonah’s dilemma. It was also the apostle Peter’s.

After watching the Sanhedrin unjustly accuse and beat Jesus and seeing Romans flog and crucify Him, Peter was probably ready to check out of being a disciple. He went back to his old job, fishing. I’m confident the last thing he wanted was for grace to be shown to a Roman!

But one morning, Jesus appeared to Peter, along with Thomas, Nathaniel, James, and John, as they were fishing. Later, on the shore, Jesus began a dialogue with Peter. Three times, He addressed Peter as “Son of Jonah.”  (John 21:15)

Jesus called Peter “Son of Jonah,” partly because He would eventually send Peter to evangelize a Roman, and Peter would encounter all manner of Gentiles. It was the equivalent of Jonah’s calling to share God’s Word with evil Nineveh.  

Peter’s first recorded Gentile convert was a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Cornelius believed because Peter heeded God’s call to share the gospel with a Roman. Where was Peter when God called Him? He was in Joppa, the same city where Jonah had boarded the boat to flee from God’s calling.  

“Simon, son of Jonah.”  There is grace in that term because God chose to remember Jonah’s repentance instead of his rebellion. Similarly, Jesus chose to focus on Peter’s faithful future rather than his history of faithless denials.

There is no one so bad that they cannot receive God’s grace and no one so good that they don’t need it. It is not up to us to decide who may follow Jesus. We are simply called to faithfully and freely share the gospel with everyone. Who knows? Your next best friend could be a former enemy you lead to Jesus today!

“‘While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple. Those who are followers of worthless idols abandon their faithfulness, but I will sacrifice to You with a voice of thanksgiving. That which I have vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the Lord.’ Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.” Jonah 2:7-10 (NASB)

During a 2008 Republican debate, the candidates were asked whether they believed everything in the Bible was true. As could be imagined, there was some mighty soft stepping around that question!

One of the candidates, Rudy Giuliani, said that he believed some parts of the Bible were literal and some metaphoric. He said, “For instance, I don’t believe Jonah was actually in the belly of a whale.”

It never ceases to amaze me how people refuse to follow their faith to faithful conclusions. They refuse to do so, perhaps because they fear that faithful assumptions may lead to faithful statements and stands. Faithful stands may lead to our being alienated by others. This is, in effect, idolatry because we elevate the opinions of faithless men over God’s command to walk faithfully in His Word.

Do I believe Jonah was in the belly of an actual whale? A better question might be: Is it possible for the God of all creation to sustain the life of a man in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights? Yes, it is.

Scientists have proven that it is indeed possible for a person to survive three days & nights in the belly of certain whales, but that’s not the point. The point is whether we believe the Lord can (or would wish to) accomplish such a miracle. If you can prove the feasibility of an event, it ceases to be a miracle. It simply becomes a rare phenomenon. God is in the MIRACLE business! Whenever He wants to seize our attention and command our respect, He does things that cannot be explained, even as phenomenal. The only description we can offer is “miraculous.”  For instance, when the children of Israel needed bread in the desert, God provided it. The word they used to describe it was “manna,” which translates, “What is it?”  God had performed a miracle, and there was no other thing in the world to compare it to.    

I bring this up because Jonah’s need for salvation is not unlike our own. Whether we are in a literal or figurative “belly of a whale,” God hears our cries for help, and He has the inexhaustible means to deliver us when conventional, even phenomenal, delivery options are absent.  

Salvation is by God’s grace, through our faith in Jesus alone. To deny the exclusivity of His salvation is to forsake the miracle of Messiah’s faithful love. To accept it leads to a response of thanksgiving and the bold fulfillment of our vow to Him, to follow whenever and wherever He leads, even into situations from which there is no earthly possibility of deliverance.

If we genuinely believe that Jesus can raise us from the dead and live forever with Him in heaven, then why do we hesitate to carry the gospel into life-threatening venues? And why should we have a problem believing in God’s ability to preserve one guy in a whale’s belly?

This Groundworks Ministries Podcast is coming soon! In the meantime, click the “Read Full Chapter” button above to study Jonah 1.

“But there will be a deliverance on Mount Zion, and it will be holy; the house of Jacob will dispossess those who dispossessed them. Then the house of Jacob will be a blazing fire, and the house of Joseph a burning flame, but the house of Esau will be stubble; they will set them on fire and consume them. Therefore no survivor will remain, of the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken.” Obadiah 17-18 (HCSB)

Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of the patriarch, Isaac. Their sibling rivalry was far beyond normal. From the outset, the older was to serve the younger. We see a pattern elsewhere in Scripture: Cain & Abel, Ishmael & Isaac, Reuben & Joseph, and Ephraim & Manasseh.

“And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’” Genesis 25:21-23 (ESV)

As the boys grew up, Esau sold his birthright (the right to lead the family spiritually) to Jacob for a bowl of soup. Then, Jacob tricked his blind father, Isaac, into giving him the family blessing instead of Esau. Alongside their notorious personal relationship, “Jacob” and “Esau” are also synonymous with the nations that descended from them: Israel and Edom.

When Israel came out of Egypt and headed toward Canaan, Edom refused to let them pass through their land. When Babylon fought against Israel, Edom stood quietly by, and when Jerusalem was destroyed, Edom cast lots with Babylon to divide the spoils.

But beyond the familial and national relationships, there is a more profound symbolism at play with Jacob and Esau. The brothers are also symbolic of the inner struggle of every believer between our old “fleshly” self-serving nature and the “new creation,” learning to overcome the flesh by discipline and submission to God’s Word. The Lord declares at the beginning of the book of Malachi, “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I hated,” and Obadiah’s prophecy clarifies the depth of that hatred. Where Scripture says that believers from foreign nations are restored and brought into blessing in the millennial kingdom, Edom will fall and rise no more: total destruction.

Therefore, even though our flesh may rise up, strut, intimidate, and surge within us at times, threatening our spiritual well-being, we know the flesh has a certain, hell-bound end. So, we believers await, with joy and confidence, the day when all flesh and everything that presently disturbs and distresses us will be overthrown forever - when Messiah Jesus, alone, will be exalted. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

“Look, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom and I will destroy it from the face of the earth. However, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob – the Lord’s declaration – for I am about to give the command, and I will shake the house of Israel among the nations, as one shakes a sieve, but not a grain will fall to the ground. All the sinners from among My people, who say, ‘Disaster will not overtake or confront us,’ will die by the sword.’” Amos 9:8-10 (HCSB)

This final chapter of Amos’ prophecy divides into two parts. Verses 1-10 give the last of the five visions and the Lord’s telling of the afflictions awaiting Israel in the lands of their wanderings, but with the assurance that not a grain of his wheat will be lost. Then, in verses 11-15, as is customary with the prophets, Amos looks toward Israel’s restoration to glory and blessing in the last days when their tribulations will pass forever, and the nation will be saved in the recovered remnant.

For today’s passage, I focused on the “sifting” of God’s people. The reason being that it is essential to remember that Amos was prophesying to Israel. And that means that within the community of Israel - the chosen people - were those who chose God and those who didn’t. God was communicating that His massive “shakedown” of the Jewish community had a revealing and redemptive purpose: To separate the devotion of Israel from those who were born of Jewish families yet rejected the Lord.  Jesus warned Peter of a similar “sifting”:

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 (HCSB)

The Apostle Paul spoke of the division within the Jewish community:

“But it is not as though the Word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” Romans 9:6 (HCSB)

Paul’s point was that there had been a long-standing delusion among the Jewish community that salvation was automatic simply because they were Jewish. That so-called “theology” leads to complacency and, ultimately, idolatry. Yes, latter generations profited from their forefathers’ faithfulness to God, but faith in Messiah brings salvation, not Jewish DNA or works of the law.

This is not exclusively a New Testament idea. It is rooted in the prophets. God is not sifting the nations and keeping the Jews in this instance. He is sifting Jerusalem and keeping those who believe in Him rightly. Furthermore, there is a “sifting” yet awaiting the greater Messianic community (The Church). Just because a person does good works does not ensure their salvation. They must first believe in their hearts that Jesus is the Messiah. When the sifting comes, true believers stand on faith instead of retreating to the World. As we learned from Job: FAITH isn’t FACT until it’s tested…i.e., “sifted.”

“Hear this! The days are coming – this is the declaration of the Lord God – when I will send a famine through the land; not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea, and roam from north to east, seeking the Word of the Lord but they will not find it.” Amos 8:11-12 (HCSB)

When I was in college, I went to a Bible study with a couple of crazy brothers, Rich and Dave Christiano. They were “crazy,” in a good way. I remember one of them challenged us to 2 two-week fasts. The first was a fast from the media. No music/TV/movies for two weeks. Could you do it? The second fast was from reading the Bible. Obviously, he didn’t want us to stop reading the Bible for two weeks. He was simply making a point: Would you miss your media more than you would miss your Bible? Sadly, I was way more bummed about the prospects of two weeks without media.

That was God’s point in today’s passage, exactly. He kept His Word and, shortly after that, began an era of 400 years of prophetic silence. The Israelites must have laughed at Amos’ words. I can hear their reactions, “Is that all He’s got? We were expecting something like another earthquake, a flood, or disease. But a famine from a book we seldom read? Bring it on!”

The United States is experiencing various hardships at the moment. It is a slow collapse yet observable. In the past, if a person got laid off, they had a better-than-average chance of getting another comparable job. After a few weeks, they were back in stride. But these days, there are hardly any jobs to have. So, layoffs lead to long-term unemployment, which brings down longstanding institutions like banks and other industry giants. I say all that to make this point: Many people, even professing followers of Jesus, are picking up their Bibles and reading them for the very first time! That is why these daily Bible devotionals exist, to fill that need. I saw America’s “famine from the Word” coming a long way off. In a sense, I was born into the beginning of that era. When the average American has exhausted all other options to escape certain ruin, they often reach out to God as their last-ditch effort.  

I don’t like this current season our country is in; quite honestly, it hurts. But I thank the Lord for such a season, nonetheless. And I hope people are sincerely seeking God in these times. I hope they are returning to the Lord (or coming to Him for the first time) with their whole hearts. Because today’s chapter describes God’s eventual response to people who only give Him “lip service” when things get uncomfortable yet return to their backsliding ways once things appear to be getting more comfortable. Eventually, even God’s grace wears thin. Justice will ultimately override grace and mercy.

Imagine losing everything, literally being invaded by a foreign country and hauled off as slaves. That would be horrible. But it would be even worse if you looked for comfort from God’s Word, and all you could find was silence or “I told you so.”

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” Isaiah 55:6 (HCSB)

“He showed me this: The Lord was standing there by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’  I replied, ‘A plumb line.’  Then the Lord said, ‘I am setting a plumb line among My people Israel; I will no longer spare them: Isaac’s high places will be deserted, and Israel’s sanctuaries will be in ruins; I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam with a sword.’” Amos 7:7-9 (HCSB)

The last section of the book of Amos contains a series of five visions, symbolically setting forth divine judgment and drawing chapters 7 and 9 into one complete thought. Chapter seven begins with three of these visions. The first vision is a plague of devouring locusts, and the second is a consuming fire. In both instances, Amos interceded for the people, pleading for the Lord to stop His revealed plans of destruction. The reason Amos pleaded with the Lord was that it was evident that if God were to follow through, “Jacob” (the whole community of Israel) would have been completely destroyed. Everyone who prays should be encouraged because the Lord stopped His plans on both occasions.

Why would God cease His plans simply because of the prayer of one of His creatures? Many reasons have been put forth: One suggests that God remembered that the humanity of Jesus, Savior of the World, was to be passed down through the physical line of David. Another reason suggests that God remembered His everlasting covenant with Israel. But I don’t like either of those reasons because they put forth that God was forgetful and had to be reminded, not a very “omniscient” posture for an all-knowing God.  

I believe that God never intended to go through with either judgment. Rather, He incited Amos to pray. I have learned the best way to get my children to repent is to tell them the list of punishments I am considering!! I may have to go through several scenarios, but eventually, I always land on one close to their hearts (or at least their backsides!). God does not delight in punishing us when we turn from our sins. He delighted to hear the fervent prayers of his repentant children, and He was pleased with Amos’ petition. Amos was not solely concerned with his personal survival; he had the entire nation on his prayer list! Do you pray for others to the extent that you pray for yourself?

Furthermore, by sharing the first two scenarios, God was showing His capabilities. It’s the reason countries televise their military parades and missile test launches. Even after the Assyrians had sacked Israel and deported her people, the children of Israel would remember Amos’ first two visions and look to God as gracious. While the destruction was massive, the survivors knew it could have been much worse!

The Lord chose a plumb line. It seems a little weak after the images of fire and locusts, but it was infinitely more effective because it was personal. The first two judgments were against the entire community of Israel. But God had determined to judge each person, using the gravity of His Word as a building inspector uses a plumb line. Long before Jesus died on the cross, God had implemented the idea of personal judgment. Jew and Gentile alike are judged according to the same standard: God’s Word.

“Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and to those who feel secure on the hill of Samaria – the notable people in this first of the nations, those the house of Israel comes to.  Cross over to Calneh and see; go from there to great Hamath; then go down to Gath of the Philistines.  Are you better than these kingdoms?  Is their territory larger than yours?  You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.” Amos 6:1-3 (HCSB)

The whole nation of Israel (not just the ten northern tribes) had provoked the Lord.  So, today’s chapter concludes with a stirring word to those living at ease in Zion, as well as those who trusted in the idol worship on the mountain of Samaria.  

Down in the southern kingdom, the danger facing their brothers in the northern kingdom seemed far off.  The Judeans in Jerusalem took comfort in the fact that Samaria could withstand a siege long enough to give the Judeans plenty of opportunities to prepare if the enemies drew near.  Therefore, Judah took it easy, unconcerned about obeying the voice of God, calling them to repentance.  Neither did Judah waste any time feeling sorry for their brothers getting pummeled in the North.  Surely, Israel in the North was judged for their blatant idolatry, so Judah self-righteously abstained from the fight.

“At ease in Zion” should, perhaps, be a synonym we adopt to describe that unexercised, lazy condition in which so many professing “Christians” find themselves in our generation.  How easy is it for us to disregard God’s Word concerning the times we are living in?  But if God’s people are indifferent to what is important to Him, how could we be surprised when He refuses to act for us when greater difficulties and afflictions arise?

God points to Philistine cities, once splendid and magnificent, now destroyed.  What better was Israel than these kingdoms?  In that sense, when it comes to idolatry, is the United States any more righteous than Haiti or India?  No, we do not openly profess voodoo.  Our idols are far more sophisticated, yet idols, nonetheless.

Violence and corruption were rampant within their borders, but Israel still considered the “evil day” of God’s judgment to be far off.  They stretched out on ivory beds, feasted without fear, chanted their improvised worship songs performed on instruments of their own imagination, drank wine, and delighted in costly ointments while God indicted them, saying, “…but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph”.  In short, you’re just out for yourselves and have lost all sense of “family.”

In our narcissistic, “me-centric” culture, Satan’s great triumph has been the breakdown of the family.  We have lost what it means to be a vital part of a community, so we seek to please ourselves simply because we do not trust anyone who seeks pleasure for us.  One of the worst conditions on earth is the independent soul.  We are created to be wholly dependent upon God and interdependent within the community of believers.  So, when you see a brother or sister in need, lend a hand in the name of Jesus, whose hands bear the scars of His giving.