You may think you know the story of Jonah, but there is so much more for us to learn from the book by his name. First, there is the fact that disobedience and running from God can land us in some pretty nasty circumstances. But there are, also, great lessons on God’s mercy, willingness to forgive, and what He expects from us when we’re sinned against.
Then our New Testament reading is from Revelation 8 with the beginning of the seven trumpet judgments. The first four are horrible enough, but before the fifth one sounds an angel cries, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet …”
Can you imagine waking up one morning and realizing all your Christian friends are gone, disappeared in the rapture? The world is in chaos, and you have been left behind. What if the rapture happened today? Do you know that you will go? How can you be sure?
When we looked at Psalm 73 a few days ago, we saw that the psalmist Asaph had been tempted to envy the wicked for their seeming prosperity and lack of problems. That is until he got his focus back onto God and remembered the judgment that awaited them if they didn’t repent. In today’s reading from the Psalms, he revisited that subject and praised God for His righteous judgment.
And at the end of 2 Kings, we see a great example of God’s mercy to His own even in the midst of national judgment.
