Isaiah 55 ~ Our God, for He will abundantly pardon

 

Isaiah 55

“Come, everyone who thirsts,come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.


2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.


3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;


and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.

4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;

7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God,
for he will abundantly
pardon.


8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.


10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.


12“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

 
I had the great privilege to be sleepless last night and out of town. I went into the bathroom where the light would not disturb anyone and the Bible was opened. I sat upon the floor and felt nourished.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.


We were in town to fill out the Physical Rehabilitation admission papers for my mom. This was also her 83rd birthday.


2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.

We had given her a birthday cupcake and the blood sugar test came in about 40 minutes after her cupcake. It was a small party. Her blood sugar was High. Time to rethink raw sugar. She received insulin.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;

Mother is continuing to be more deaf than hearing. Her old hearing aid was more a suggestion than an aid. It has been awhile since my mother called me for prayer. Church was hard for her, Her generation is not in Church due to old age, nursing homes and departure to Heaven.

This is a side effect of steroids and antibiotics during her Pneumonia. We are seeing a very upbeat Mother again. I don't think she has been this focused on wellness in a long time. Maybe her needs are more basic. I am praying for the Lord's Mercy to my mother.

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.

God is Love.

4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

We are glorified knowing Abba wants us to Him for always. Heirs to His Promises.


6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;

Today.


7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God,
for he will abundantly
pardon.


God's compassion on us is amazing.
He tells us in Proverbs only two people understand us. Ourselves and God.
God wants to save ... the world. We feel very safe judging the culture. God has compassion.
Abba is Love.


8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

God does not need our voices, our works. Everything in the heavens and earth are His.
If we do not praise God, the rocks will cry out. God GIVES. Salvation and nothing ever offered
comes close to eternal Love.

God sees His creation as GOOD. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. God Gives. Jesus.
Nothing compares.
Nothing compares.
Nothing compares. To You. Abba.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God alone is good.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

The Word of God upholds - Life.
Isaiah stood in God's Temple and found awe and wonder for the Word of God.
Peter said The Word of God is Life.

it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

The Almighty. Ancient of Days. Lord of Lords. King of Kings.



12“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

We have been from Dallas to Houston six times this month. For my mother's health.
The first trip Texas looked pretty green.

The second trip after a harsh August week, Texas looked ready to burn up and blow away. Rather a typical August Texas look. And I have to tell you that was depressing when your mother looks ready to dry up and pass away. Very depressing. And we have had more than a week of God's Blessings with rain. Texas looks exactly like Isaiah 55. And I wept with joy to read Isaiah 55. We listened to Christian music and watched green Texas, blue skies, grey skies, white clouds, grey clouds and dark clouds dance with the wind creating a symphony of color and texture in the fields and forests and plains of Texas. There is joy here.

13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

We were headed home today. Where we have a Cypress to see from the back windows.
Our amazing 100 plus year Wax Myrtle came down during a prior hurricane. We kept the beauty sliced in logs that look like Birch Trees. And love to see them still. We do have white, pink and trying to grow again purple Crepe Myrtles.

Our home is home and we have had so many Bible Studies here. Thank God for our home.
Jesus is Lord.



Father God,

I am weary today and grateful. Remembering names is tiring when death has been asked to leave. I am pleased to pray for renewing of minds. For myself, Edward and my mom. There might be a mind or two to pray for in our group additionally. Can't we all use prayer - like a parched Texas has.

Praise Abba, Holy Spirit and Jesus for answered prayer. To Jesus and His Father we lift high our needs and concerns. We lift high those we love. We praise Jesus for being Love and hearing our prayers.

Thanks Be unto the Lord for the Gift of His Living Word. Abba. Jesus. Holy Spirit. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

1 Thessalonians 3 ~ that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father

1 Thessalonians 3


Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker^[servant]  in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. 5 For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.

6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers,^{[brothers and sisters]} in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 

8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.



We have a place we love to have coffee. In fact the architecture and the trees look a lot like a place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And I was sitting alone waiting on coffee, etc. Thinking about all the clients I've done volunteer work for and with who were hurt by someone they dated, lived with or were divorced from. For the single people, I occasionally asked, what started this problem? And was told, life is pretty dull.

We also have a favorite place to breakfast, where two walls of windows open widely. And the wait person asks us, "What will you do for fun today?" Later she told me she is looking to find out what the community events are that day. However, really I think she is a voice of the Holy Spirit.

Endeavor or drudgery.

What will excite us about life today? What mercies renew and we are truly pleased. And give Father God the joy of our joy. The way children of all ages please their parents, mostly.



Father God,

Help us set our sails today to catch the Wind of the Holy Spirit sweeping us in the adventure You give us. Each day there is something. Walking the dog, who just about does cartwheels to get to go with his favorite person. Giving an 83 year old Mom a visit. Finding a lost object with help.

Hearing from your child far away. Waking up early and having eyes to see the sun come up through unusual Texas rain in August with mist and green, green colors.

Singing "Thank Heaven for Little Fits" as if you are Maurice Chevalier. Because Father God lets us have our temper. Thank God for His Word telling us about angry, anger and mad about 1500 times. So be angry and do not sin. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Finding ways to express who we are honestly to You.

Feeling tossed by life circumstances and asking Jesus for Psalm 131 - to be held by Father God. Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him in truth.

Remembering with joy the people, past, present and future we are given as gifts in our lives.

God is Good. Truly Good. Thanking Father, our Abba, knowing He is present today to make our tomorrow something we do with more shoring up because God helps us do today.

Thank You, Abba, for hearing all our prayers. For the people we love, the near and far people all over the world, the past people, and the future people. Knowing our prayers cover this Nation and the people who want to know we all pray for the community world wide of believers and lovers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Abba. Thank You. Jesus Thank You. Amen.

In all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord. 9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly.

Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

 

Daniel 12:1-3 ~ those who are wise

Daniel 12:1-3

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


There are so many things to like about this brief few verses of Scripture. We find we will have a wonderful hope in our future. And we find the wise shall shine Like the brightness of the sky above; Like the stars forever. And Yet not as a star. An important distinction. Mufasa speaks so soothingly, movingly and beautifully of the kings shining in the sky. Scripture could support that thought; today we know space is cold, quiet and empty. We do not secure an empty place, but a place of Love in His eternal Kingdom of beauty. And in reality, we know we do not see all the stars and to exist as a star is sight out of mind.

The Bible repeats so many times, we learn the rapture occurs as  in the days Jesus walked among us as grace and truth.

Matthew 27: 54

They were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God"

Our God is Lord of Hosts. In this passage we learn Michael is considered to be a a great prince. Do we really know if angels are archangels? 

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ

Jude 1:9
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”


This passage tells us of the end of time when good and evil collide. The fallen angels will let their righteous indignation fight because salvation comes to flawed human beings. A time of trouble.





 



 Popular culture tends to say God is not allowed to be angry.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.

Do you ask how to resist anger? As soon as you feel the slightest resentment, gather together your powers, not hastily or impetuously, but gently and seriously. For as in some law courts, the criers make more noise in their efforts to preserve quiet than those they seek to still, so, if we are impetuous in our attempts to restrain our anger, we cause greater discomposure in our hearts than before; and once thrown off its balance, the heart is no longer its own master.

-- St. Francis de Sales




 

God is Responsible for being the Host of Heavens, not just people, planets, solar systems.
 

Angels are part of the spiritual realm. Daniel 10:20 names angelic beings as 'the prince of Persia' and 'the prince of Greece,' and Daniel 10:21 and 12:1 speak of Michael as 'the great prince' who protect and guides the Children of Israel.

Revelation 16:5
And I heard the angel in charge of the waters say, “Just are you, O Holy One, who is and who was, for you brought these judgments.

Daniel 9:21
while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

Hebrews 1:14
Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will
inherit salvation?






 

Father God is Busy. And yet, the Almighty, Ancient of Days, Lord of Lords has time for us. And is for keeping us safe.


2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.  

  

Deliverance and Salvation are works of the LORD GOD. Good to know Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Abba are for us.

Jonah 2:9
But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”


Psalm 3:8
From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Selah


1 Thessalonians 5:9
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

 
 

Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
 




 





Father God,

Thank You for the people who have come out of these floods well. We pray for those who have not. For those who need to travel during this time.

We lift up Edward who is suffering physically today and ask for mercy and health for him until the day You have chosen for Edward to come home. We pray for his good health.

Thanking You for the prayers of people who care and love each other.

Continuing to lift up those who are in need physically. Our ears. For infections to clear up. For rest and sleep. For those who are enduring changes in life and will overcome. Strengthening families who are interwoven and need each other for all of life. That kindness, loyalty and goodness will be the points of valor in our lives.

Remembering we are all flawed and give to one another this grace, as grace has been given to us.

Lifting up life where we have concerns. For our loved ones to be covered, supported and lean to His Grace. For our communities, jobs, Churches and this Nation. Christians around the world. The strength of good employment. Joyful talents used and rewarded. We pray for Father God to help people use the talents He has richly placed in us.

Looking to Father God today to have Joy knowing this is always part of eternity. Our determination to fulfill our talents, mercy, goodness will make our tomorrow and our loved one's tomorrow better.


God has all the resources He needs.  His angels serve Him for His Pleasure. His Word alone as God causes and is the fulfillment of all His Promises.

In Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

John 15:5 ~ Abiding in Jesus

The complex, selfish Israel Jesus cried out for. He longs to place us beneath His Wing. Photo from Domius Flevit's Church.




John 15:5
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.



Jesus calls us, "My Family." Jesus is KING. Lord of Lords. Our righteousness.
I believe this and in this I am Blessed. Jesus is Truth.
When two or more in prayer, in His name, He is there.

Jesus commands Love.


Life gives us examples. Parables. The lives we know the entire life story and we are bolstered, challenged, encouraged, warned to do differently. These are the Living Seeds of the Parable of Seeds. I know two people who decided life was too hard. And they mostly decided to stay home for decades. And then you are not being buffed to shine. Life bumps and jostles us all. It's up to our prayer and hearts to find fuel to love and courage. Boldly going back to Life. Jesus is the heart and core of daily seeing His Mercies Renew.

We Live as believers.



“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

"As for other matters, my brother, my sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord."

"It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God."

We will see the Valor of God and we will defend His Righteousness. We will see His Mercy Shine and Overcome.


"The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished."

"In this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. Greek, Jew, Slave or Free there is no partiality. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well."

"This is not up to us to take revenge or vengeance. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. I always to thank God for you, brother and sister loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. Never tire of doing good."

Isaiah's 60th Chapter explains our lives and these wondrous times to us.


1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,

and thick darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will arise upon you,

and his glory will be seen upon you.


3 And nations shall come to your light,

and kings to the brightness of your rising.


4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;


they all gather together, they come to you;

your sons shall come from afar,

and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

5 Then you shall see and be radiant;

your heart shall thrill and exult,a

because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,

the wealth of the nations shall come to you.


7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you;

the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;

they shall come up with acceptance on my altar,

and I will beautify my beautiful house.



9 For the coastlands shall hope for me,

the ships of Tarshish first,

to bring your children from afar,

their silver and gold with them,

for the name of the Lord your God,

and for the Holy One of Israel,

because he has made you beautiful.






“Find him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for

“‘In Him we live and move and have our being’;
“‘For we are indeed His Offspring."



" Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this Jerusalem shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it."



"There shall be heard again the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

“‘Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,


for the Lord is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever!’




In the midst of all our struggles. Jesus is our Destination. Our Hope. Our Love. Our Savior.

Father God,

We list our concerns to you. For using each day to be positive, building tomorrow up because today we chose to see what is Good. Taking time each morning to see Your Mercies renew. I promise toothpaste for me makes the whole world seem shiny and new. I am grateful for toothpaste. For this as an analogy for our Righteousness is in Jesus.

For being greeted by enthusiastic creations of God.

For lifting up cares of Edward's health. Blessings on Preston Village Physical Rehabilitation helping my mother overcome Double Pneumonia and her hospital stay. For the many people who worked in the Hospital to get her to live. Four nurses there who tell me they pray for their patients. For the man who took his time on the phone making sure my mother was checked up on at Preston Village.

Blessings for the cares and concerns of the people my mother has who call regularly to check up on her. For our family in Louisiana to be well and recover well from the rain and flooding. Especially in Baton Rouge and in Washington Parrish Franklinton. For all the south to recover from the August flood. For the USA to pray to share the weather instead of one area having feast or famine.

For the Country to pray as we vote, God helping All the People to have the promises made. He will hear our prayers. For peace for the nation and the world.

For the cares we all have for our children. Their needs. For our families that cares and needs are presented to our Loving Father God.

We will continue to Pray. Knowing hearts of warmth and love are His domain. His reaction to the strange world is to see us all through and through and to Save us for His Own. Amazing, Loving Father God.

In Jesus, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †

Jonah 1:1-2:2 ~ I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me.

 

Psalm 94

1 The Lord is a God who avenges.
O God who avenges, shine forth.
2 Rise up, Judge of the earth

9 Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?

10 Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

11 The Lord knows all human plans;
he knows that they are futile.

12 Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,
the one you teach from your law

 Jonah 1:1-2:2

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil [evil or disaster] has come up before me.”


3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.

4 But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. 

6 So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

7 And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah (Proverbs 16)

. 8 Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

 9 And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” 

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 

12 He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” 13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard [the men dug in their oars] to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

14 Therefore they called out to the Lord, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you.” 

15 So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

17 And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah – Chapter 2:1-2

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

Jonah was not having fun with the whale. However we have all overlooked important aspects of the Jonah Story.

1. Jonah appears to be the only one where God demanded His Way, Truth and Life.

In His Capacity: Daniel was enslaved. Moses had leprosy for a minute and a half. Zechariah went mute and Elizabeth was found pregnant - no angel had asked her. Joshua lived in the desert for 40 years. Samson went into prison. Joseph went into slavery and prison. God has way with His Good Will and Plan. God always - wins. We win when we say sincerely God is my Hope and my Future.


Is Jonah True? The Bible is True. Jonah is True. We also see this:

3. The Assyrians allowed Judah to continue. They had a fondness for this Jehovah and His Capabilities.  Hezekiah had the most impressive reign. And in my opinion, Hezekiah far exceeded Solomon. The People were on the side of God and King Hezekiah had to ask them to stop donating. They worked hard for the Lord and their tunnels with water are visible today.

2. The Babylonian Exile was 3 vast, violent sweeps by Nebuchadnezzar who believed himself to be blessed and mentioned by Isaiah 14:12-15. He reign took over the Assyrian culture.  Isaiah 14 did indeed tell of the rise and fall of Nebuchadnezzar, conqueror of Judah. Without Jonah, Nebuchadnezzar would not have granted the slaves the renaming and calling them "exiles". They would not have had the freedom to worship the Sabbath together. Ezekiel, as a priest, would not have been given a house by the Kebar River. Centuries apart, Jonah laid the path for Jeremiah's prophecy of 70 years in captivity to be True.


3. Many of the aspects of Jonah are recognizable in ourselves. The desire to love God and fulfill our own plans. Our selfishness. Johan continues to be mighty in God as he flees. He tells the Truth. A noble thing. Very admirable. And in the Truth - this life comes to be useful to God and to us through the millenniums.

4. Jonah is not a fish tale of one who got away. Jonah begins to tell us about Jesus. Jonah felt his life was in God's hands and Jonah is brave and mighty to save - others. Jonah, like Jesus, will be calm during the storm and see what unfolds. Jonah is ready to put down his own life to save them. Jonah - is like us - he had no idea God was going to step in and Save so Mightily.





Father God,

Today - We call out to the Lord in our distress and He will heal us.

In the Lord Father God Almighty we see many grow in their God for Loving Kindness and Maturity

We give You Thanks, that was distress and problematic - terrifying was meant for Good.
All things work for good for those who Love the Lord God and work according to His Purpose.

Psalm 94
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,
I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,”
your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.

19 When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.

Thank Jesus Christ the Lord for hearing our Prayer. We Trust in You.
Amen, Abba, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †