Jonah 2:1-10 KJV
1 Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,
2 And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
5 The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.
6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
7 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.
8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
10 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

Why did Jonah pray, he prayed in his affliction, in his day of trouble, His day of God's wrath upon him. What does Jonah know about God. I thank God he did not lay it on my heart to speak on Amos or Obadiah this morning. There is plenty of chapters there that speak of God's wrath on not only the surrounding countries of Israel but also Israel. What is it about God and his wrath, that man would even beg God for mercy or even seek him for salvation. What is it about God that would bring people to their knees, is it the knowledge of God's mercy and grace to all generation that seek him. To all individuals that will pray to him. In our desperation one might remember God's mercy, yet why does God torment the believer to repentance. If there is a fire do you not pull the fire alarm, if you know a tornado is coming do you not seek shelter for salvation, if there is a hurricane, do you not either board up your home and flee, or hope you will survive the storm. What then if we give warning based on knowledge why should God not use his word to give warning to danger of our evilness? God's warnings are love and if we can not understand that, then we are lost to God's salvation.

Jonah was called by God to go preach repentance to Nineveh, and Jonah ran and jump aboard a ship head to Tarshish and then a storm came, and the sailor casted lot to see who was at fault. The sailors found Johan guilty and Jonah had the sailors cast him overboard. After throwing Jonah overboard when the sea was calmed the sailors worshipped God. God sent a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah found himself in the belly of fish three days. In those three days he began to repent to God. He felt the seedweed entangling his hair as he was drowning and going deep below the mountains in the water, that huge fish swallowed him. God had rescued him.

Jonah had recognized the reason for the storm, but he also was willing to save those aboard the ship. Jonah was willing to sacrifice his life for another. Was Jonah afraid to go to Nineveh because the city was wicked. It says in chapter one he ran from the presence of the Lord. In other words the very presence of God caused fear. If you ever had a call of God on your life and God spoke more then a small still voice to you, then yes you had a reason to be frightful. Remember how loud God's voice is. It as loud of a trumpet resounding over many miles. The best way to describe it perhaps. Yet God still speaks to man when only to man for him to be the only one hear, because it by his Spirit. God had told him that place he was sending Jonah was wicked. The idea of going into a place like Sodom and Gomorrah to preach had to sound terrifying to someone who had heard those stories, but at the same time, why was God sending, to save the souls of those that would repent and hear. God did not let go of Jonah from his sin of running, he only sent him to a sub called a fish. A fish he created to swallow and protect Jonah, so when Jonah repented he could spew him up on dry land.

Jonah came to place he was weak, worn and fainted within the fish and he found himself praying in God's holy temple of safety, the belly of a fish. There he seen the lying vanities of the world, and knew God's mercy and salvation and offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving to God despite his sinfulness of running. He found repentance of turning away from running. He gave up the yoke of running, the yoke of sin, and went to Nineveh when God had the fish spew him up. God's will and God's way, yet man often wants to run from it all. As I was reading Amos and Obadiah this morning the wrath of God that was coming on Israel and surrounding nations were great, yet it only took repentance of any nation that would call on God for salvation, to be saved by his grace and mercy. Repentance turning way from their evil. Yet the wrath was still forecasted in hopes to bring people to repentance. God sends preachers and ministers to lands that not only will hear, but to lands that need to hear, but will not hear. So no one can say they did not hear and repent to turn from their evil ways.

One might want to think God is evil, God is corrupt and God is many things but in reality God has a reason evil is bad, because it destroys the lives of people, who continually causes harm to the human soul, to the human spirit of his people and people yet to be called by him to repentance. One chapter I was reading talked about the reason for God's wrath was the abuse of women was great in the land, and the wrath of God was coming on the nation that was causing the abuse. What about the innocent children of many nation that are abused and neglected. What about the nation who abort and the nations that slaughter the innocent and enslave people no matter race, creed, or ethnicity. This is Black history month in America, but it more then Black history month it is also a month that speaks about the holocaust and other abuses. Black history month does not have to be about segregation it is about people overcoming obstacles in the lives of their ancestors to present It more then that it about all people that face diversity of cultures that have corruption, it a symbol of diversity an ability to overcome abuse of a people and nation. If we do not laying down the torch of racism and picking up the torch of giving life to others dealing with abuse in their own race. We only see the abuse of our own people. Some how the world needs to come together through Christ to recognize the abuse of all people everywhere, to help them not just over come but to build them up in love, faith and hope and in the order. It takes love to build faith and it takes hope to know there is a better tomorrow. Jonah bigotry of evil almost cost him from preaching a great revival to a people in need. His own bigotry could of cause harm to the people on the boat but instead he took responsibility for his actions, and God provided him a fish to protect him for three day, before resurrecting Jonah.

We got to preach agains the evil in our world, despite what man does. We got to go where God sends us, to see people change in love, faith and hope. Even if that is to the world by internet, to a certain church, community and region, we must remain even if we feel like we are in the valley of the shadow of death at times. With uncaring people that care only for their life and not the life of those around them. Take a stand for your faith, follow God's leading, and know the joy of being in a place God wants you to be and not be in the belly of the fish, coming to your senses of the need to realize God's salvation came before your own repentance, because you took the responsibility of saying it was your fault you sin and disobeyed God and that you need Jesus. God knows it not easy to take a stand of responsibility, but it even worse when you realize you foresaken the will of God for your life and he steering you back on course. How many fish or arks of safety does God have to provide before he can send you forth on dry land in a desert place that needs growth and prosperity of his word. Do you think Jonah loved God after being swallow, the answer is yes. God's mercy is great.

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to go to the people that need you most, that look and wonder about the wrath of God with no knowledge of why God is angry. Why he would do some of things he does on our nation and nations around the world. Bring them to the knowledge of your love and send those people to care about each group of people. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Hebrews 4:14-16 KJV
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 12:24-29 KJV
24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.