January 15th, 2021

Jonah 1:5,6 “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.  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’.”

 The Big Picture

“God wants us to treat people of different races and faiths in a way that is respectful, loving, generous and just” (Keller, p31).  Notice, the pagan sailors we more devout to their false gods than Jonah was to the One who created the weather.  The captain rebuke Jonah for not participating and praying to his God.  You might say that the world was judging Jonah’s belief in any god in this moment.  Another thing to note is that Jonah isn’t bringing the resources of his faith to bear on the suffering of his fellow citizens.  At this point in the story, Jonah is playing the part of the antithesis of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10.  “The lack of mercy in Jonah’s attitude and actions toward others reveals that he was a stranger in his heart to the saving mercy and grace of God” (Keller, p42)

How To Pray

• Ask God to take your eyes off of your own circumstances to see the people around you who are in need. Ask God to give you favor/grace in helping in some way.

• Pray that the gospel will impact those whose eyes are “covered in scales” by the seduction of false teaching, idol worship, and/or false religions.

• Pray that the people of Pontiac Bible Church will see and believe that we are all made in the image of God and bear His likeness.