1...I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.2He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.3He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord.
So, what trouble are you facing today? You may be facing the consequences of your choices - well, you can be assured that if you align your heart with God's heart and repent of ways that are not pleasing to Him, that He will forgive you and strengthen your life. Or, you may be feeling the weight of living in a fallen world - He will give us hope even in the midst of our disappointment and our despondency. God is faithful, and it's so vital that we remember that.
In the second chapter of the book of Jonah, we read the words of the reluctant prophet, who faced the consequences of his disobedience, but who got his heart right and turned it around:
7"When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.8"Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy.9But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord."
It was certainly an odd sight in Great Britain recently, a giant inflatable whale that was situated at the British seaside resort known as Weston-super-Mare. The whale was part of a three-day storytelling event organized by the Bible Society.
According to a report on the Bristol Post website, the biblical story of Jonah was being told inside the whale to children and their parents. This was actually an alternative location - the Bible Society was told in May that they could not use the Royal Parks in London for “events of a religious nature”.
A spokesman from North Somerset Council is quoted as saying: "We are pleased to host a variety of different events and feel this event will add to our already diverse and unique events programme."
Rachel Rounds, head of media at the Bible Society said: “The Royal Parks in London may have banned Bible Society from telling the story of Jonah, but Weston has saved the whale."
So, what do we take away from this story of the giant inflatable whale at a British seaside resort? Well, for one thing, we can underscore the importance of Bible engagement, including parents sharing the Scriptures with their children. The British survey shows that a large majority of parents believe that it's important to share Bible stories, but only half are doing it. We can be challenged to pass Biblical truth on to the next generation - and I believe that it goes beyond just reading Bible stories, but also teaching the practical application of these wonderful stories.
And, speaking of practical application, what do we take away from Jonah? There are multiple lessons for us, including: there are consequences for disobedience, but God will respond to a repentant heart and corresponding action. Jonah was called by the Lord, he resisted that call, he wound up inside a giant fish, but in the depths of this trial - the result of his resistance - he called upon the Lord, and the Lord brought deliverance. Jonah went on to call the people of Nineveh to repentance. We can be challenged to make the choice to turn in a different direction when we take a path that is not pleasing to God.
So, the process is simple for each of us - learn the Scriptures, obey the Scriptures, and pass on what God has taught us.
Rachel Rounds, head of media at the Bible Society said: “The Royal Parks in London may have banned Bible Society from telling the story of Jonah, but Weston has saved the whale."
She added that, “Recent research for our Pass It On Campaign showed that 59 per cent of children didn’t know the story of Jonah was from the Bible...“So we want to encourage the next generation to engage with great Bible stories and what better way than from the inside of an inflatable whale, told by a circus troupe?”
The Bible Society's website offers more information on that Campaign. It says that Pass It On is...
...a campaign to encourage parents to read, watch or listen to a Bible story with their child. We aspire to offer one million children a 'Bible Bedtime' throughout the year.
Our campaign is about the people that count in children’s lives helping to keep the Bible alive for many generations to come.
We want to remind all those that value this classic text, regardless of their reason, that we must ‘use it or lose it’.A synopsis of the Society's Research Report for the Campaign says: "80% of parents whose children have come into contact with Bible stories think it's important to pass it on. So why are almost half of parents not reading Bible stories with their children?"
So, what do we take away from this story of the giant inflatable whale at a British seaside resort? Well, for one thing, we can underscore the importance of Bible engagement, including parents sharing the Scriptures with their children. The British survey shows that a large majority of parents believe that it's important to share Bible stories, but only half are doing it. We can be challenged to pass Biblical truth on to the next generation - and I believe that it goes beyond just reading Bible stories, but also teaching the practical application of these wonderful stories.
And, speaking of practical application, what do we take away from Jonah? There are multiple lessons for us, including: there are consequences for disobedience, but God will respond to a repentant heart and corresponding action. Jonah was called by the Lord, he resisted that call, he wound up inside a giant fish, but in the depths of this trial - the result of his resistance - he called upon the Lord, and the Lord brought deliverance. Jonah went on to call the people of Nineveh to repentance. We can be challenged to make the choice to turn in a different direction when we take a path that is not pleasing to God.
So, the process is simple for each of us - learn the Scriptures, obey the Scriptures, and pass on what God has taught us.
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