Has your life been lacking the joy of knowing and experiencing a living relationship with the living God? Talk with an online mentor about it.

Quick, what do you remember about Jonah?

Did you think of the whale … or more accurately the “great fish”? (Jonah 1:17) So did I. But after re-reading the book of Jonah, I realized the whale is one of the least important parts of the story.

Please read Jonah 1 now.

In verse 9 Jonah says “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” But does he really mean what he says? Let’s review:

– Jonah hears a direct, specific call from God, yet flees in the opposite direction (v1-3)
– He sleeps through a violent storm, oblivious to the safety of his fellow travelers (v5)
– Even though the sailors exhort him to pray, there’s no evidence that he does (v6)
– He refuses to admit wrongdoing, even when the lot falls on him (v7-10)
– Rather than praying and/or repenting, he asks to die by being thrown into the sea (v12)

Why did Jonah act this way? Maybe he became prideful. He was a Hebrew, chosen as a prophet of God. Perhaps he thought that because he had knowledge of God, that he knew God. But while Jonah ignored the vast knowledge he had of God, the sailors responded to the little knowledge they had and “greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.” (Jonah 1:16)

Jonah claimed to “worship the LORD” but his actions speak louder than his words. Merely saying we “have faith”, speaking the words with our mouths, is empty unless the words permeate our hearts. The apostle Paul said “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

Response: Meditate on the apostle John’s words: “If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:3-6)

Question: How have you lived out your faith today in your daily life?

About the Author: Darren Hewer