5-Day Devotional

Each week we post a 5-Day Devotional based off the previous Sunday's message.

Day 1: Running From God's Call

Devotional: We all have moments when God calls us to do something difficult. Maybe it's reaching out to someone who has hurt us, serving in an uncomfortable place, or speaking truth in love. Like Jonah, our first instinct might be to run in the opposite direction. Jonah was called to preach to Nineveh—a city filled with people who had brutalized his own nation. Instead of obeying, he boarded a ship heading 2,500 miles in the opposite direction! He wasn't just taking a detour; he was trying to escape God's presence entirely. What Jonah failed to realize is that running from God's call never leads to freedom. Instead, it creates storms that affect not only us but those around us. The innocent sailors on Jonah's ship found themselves in mortal danger because of his disobedience. God's call on our lives isn't arbitrary. He calls us to difficult things because He sees the bigger picture—the redemption, healing, and transformation that can happen when we obey. When we run from that call, we're actually running from the very purpose God has designed for us. Today, consider what God might be calling you to do that feels uncomfortable or even impossible. Remember that His commands always come with His presence and power to fulfill them. Unlike Jonah, we can choose to run toward God's call rather than away from it.

Bible Verse: "The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 'Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.' But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD." - Jonah 1:1-4

Reflection Question: What is God calling you to do right now that you might be resisting or running from, and what fears or objections are holding you back from full obedience?

Quote: "Jonah runs in the opposite direction. It says the word of the Lord came to him. And Jonah ran away from Tarshish, which is Spain, to Nineveh, which is in Iraq, is about 2500 miles. He wanted to get as far away from God as possible."

Prayer: Father, forgive me for the times I've run from Your call. Give me the courage to say yes to whatever You ask of me, even when it's difficult. Help me trust that Your plans for me are good, even when they lead me to uncomfortable places. In Jesus' name, amen.

Day 2: Learning to Pray in the Fish

Devotional: Sometimes our greatest prayers are born in our darkest moments. For Jonah, it took being swallowed by a great fish—a place of complete darkness, isolation, and hopelessness—before he finally turned to God in genuine prayer. Before this moment, Jonah was willing to die rather than obey God. When the storm threatened the ship, he told the sailors to throw him overboard, preferring death to the mission God had given him. But God had other plans. Instead of letting Jonah die, He provided a fish—not as punishment, but as preservation. In that slimy, dark belly, Jonah finally prayed. Sometimes we too need to hit rock bottom before we look up. We resist prayer when things are comfortable, but adversity drives us to our knees. God knows exactly what circumstances will finally cause us to turn to Him in genuine repentance. God's discipline is always redemptive. He doesn't orchestrate difficult circumstances to punish us but to bring us back to Himself. The fish wasn't Jonah's prison—it was his pathway back to purpose. Whatever "fish" you might find yourself in today—whatever difficult, confining circumstance—remember that God can use even this to teach you to pray, to depend on Him, and to prepare you for the calling He still has on your life.

Bible Verse: "From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God." - Jonah 2:1

Reflection Question: What difficult circumstance in your life right now might God be using to teach you dependence and draw you into deeper prayer?

Quote: "Sometimes we have to learn to pray in the fish. Sometimes we've got to learn to pray in the misery of our circumstance."

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You never waste my pain. Help me to see the difficult circumstances in my life not as punishment but as opportunities to draw closer to You. Teach me to pray from the depths, knowing that You hear me even in my darkest moments. In Jesus' name, amen.

Day 3: The God Who Relents

Devotional: One of the most beautiful aspects of God's character is His willingness to relent from sending disaster when people genuinely repent. The story of Nineveh demonstrates this perfectly. When Jonah finally delivered God's message, something remarkable happened—the entire city believed God and repented, from the king to the common people. God's response? "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened." This wasn't God changing His mind or His character. Rather, it was God being exactly who He always said He was—gracious, compassionate, and abounding in faithful love. Jonah knew this about God. In fact, this was precisely why he ran away in the first place! He knew God would forgive the Ninevites if they repented, and he didn't want that to happen. He knew God's heart but didn't share it. God's mercy toward repentant sinners isn't a weakness—it's His glory. He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but desires that they turn from their ways and live. His warnings of judgment are always invitations to repentance. Today, remember that no one is beyond God's mercy. The same compassion that was extended to brutal Nineveh is available to everyone who turns to Him. And we are called not just to know this truth but to embody it—to have the same heart of mercy toward others that God has toward us.

Bible Verse:"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened." - Jonah 3:10

Reflection Question: Is there someone in your life who seems beyond redemption, for whom you struggle to desire God's mercy? How might your perspective change if you truly shared God's heart for them?

Quote: "Jonah knew the heart of God, but did not have the heart of God. And this is important again, Jonah was not confused about who God was. He knew the Lord. Jonah knew his Bible."

Prayer: Merciful God, thank You for not giving me what my sins deserve. Forgive me for the times I've been reluctant to extend that same mercy to others. Shape my heart to be more like Yours—quick to forgive, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love. Help me to rejoice when others receive Your mercy, even those I might consider enemies. In Jesus' name, amen.

Day 4: Knowing vs. Having the Heart of God

Devotional: There's a profound difference between knowing about God's heart and actually having His heart. Jonah perfectly illustrates this distinction. When God showed mercy to Nineveh, Jonah became angry and complained, "I knew that you were gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, the one who repents from sending disaster." Jonah had theological knowledge about God's character, but he didn't share God's compassion for the lost. He could recite God's attributes but didn't embody them. He knew the right words but had the wrong heart. This disconnect between knowledge and heart is a danger for all of us. We can memorize Scripture, attend church faithfully, and know all the right theological answers while our hearts remain untransformed. We can know that God loves our enemies while harboring bitterness toward them. We can understand God's heart for the lost while remaining indifferent to their eternal destiny. True spiritual maturity isn't measured by what we know about God but by how much our hearts have become like His. Do we weep over the things that break God's heart? Do we rejoice when sinners repent? Are we slow to anger and quick to show mercy? Today, ask God not just to increase your knowledge about Him but to transform your heart to be like His—full of compassion, patience, and faithful love toward all people, even those you might consider undeserving.

Bible Verse: "For God does not show favoritism." - Romans 2:4

Reflection Question: In what areas of your life do you see a disconnect between what you know about God's heart and how you actually feel and act toward others?

Quote: "Do you know the heart of God? And do you have the heart of God? Because if you have the heart of God, it will change you."

Prayer: Lord, I don't want to be like Jonah—knowing Your character but not sharing Your heart. Transform me from the inside out. Help me to love what You love and care about what You care about. Make my heart tender toward the lost and broken. May I not just know about Your compassion but actually become compassionate like You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Day 5: People Over Plants: Getting Our Priorities Right

Devotional: The story of Jonah ends with a powerful lesson about priorities. God causes a plant to grow, providing Jonah with shade, then sends a worm to destroy it. Jonah becomes angry about the plant's death, prompting God's pointed question: "You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow... should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh?" Jonah's priorities were completely backward. He cared more about a temporary plant that provided him comfort than about the eternal souls of over 120,000 people. He was more upset about losing his shade than about people potentially perishing without knowing God. How often do we fall into the same trap? We get more upset about minor inconveniences—traffic jams, broken appliances, or changes to our comfortable routines—than about the spiritual condition of those around us. We invest more emotion in temporary comforts than eternal matters. God's priorities are clear: people matter more than plants, souls matter more than shade, and eternal destinies matter more than earthly comforts. He is "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Today, examine your emotional reactions. What makes you angry? What breaks your heart? What consumes your thoughts? Ask God to align your priorities with His, so that what matters most to Him matters most to you.

Bible Verse: "Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?" - Jonah 4:2

Reflection Question: What "plants" in your life (comforts, conveniences, preferences) might be taking priority over the "people" God has called you to reach with His love and truth?

Quote: "Jonah could care less that people were dying and going to go to hell for an eternity. He didn't care at all. He was more mad about the plant than he was about the people."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for caring more about my comfort than about the souls of those around me. Realign my heart with Yours. Help me to see people as You see them—precious, valuable, and worth any sacrifice. Give me Your compassion for the lost and Your willingness to be inconvenienced for the sake of others. In Jesus' name, amen.