June 5, 2014 (Thursday)
The story of Jonah’s experience with the great fish that swallowed him is known throughout the world and even people who have never been to church know something about it. Unbelievers love to poke fun at it because to them it is pure myth. Believers, however, have no reason to doubt the truth of its historical details. The story is true, but the truth behind the story is the main point of the book, and that is that God loves all the people of the world and is willing to save them if they only believe. Jonah was called to go to Ninevah and announce God’s judgment upon them. He refused because he knew that they might repent and receive 
God’s mercy. Ninevah was Israel’s enemy and that was that. In Jonah’s mind they deserved no mercy. So he finally got to Ninevah and delivered the message, and, just as he had feared, Ninevah repented and was spared. The book is a strong reminder to Israel that God had chosen Israel to be a missionary nation, a fact they never seemed to acknowledge.
Jonah – Devotional thoughts
John 3:16 is a message that God loves all the people of this world and Christ died so that those who believe in Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world may be saved. Many of us, however, like Jonah, have chosen to refuse God’s call to us to tell the world about Jesus.
The gospel of Christ needs to be shared. Jonah shared it with a poor spirit and was resentful of the people to whom he spoke, yet God blessed the message. You and I are sent with a message. We would do well to do it in a Christian spirit, but it is the message itself that is important.