Jonah and the Whale

Even people unfamiliar with the Bible have heard of Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by a whale and lived to tell about it.

Fact or fiction? Well, it is scientific fact that people have been swallowed by whales and escaped to tell of it. Did it actually happen to Jonah? Each reader must judge for himself.

Jonah was a reluctant prophet. God sent him to the pagan city of Nineveh to preach repentance. Jonah ran away from the Lord by boarding a ship.

In a horrible storm, Jonah admitted that he was probably the cause of it, so at Jonah’s request they threw him overboard, and “the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah” (Jonah 1:17).

Jonah reached Nineveh, preached the message of repentance, and—much to his disgust—the pagans repented. The book of Jonah was a sign that the Israelites were beginning to see that God loved all people, not just Israel.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Sanctifying Joy and Cleansing Grace

Charles Spurgeon

Amid the cheerfulness of household gatherings, it is easy to slide into sinful amusements and forget our declared character as Christians. It should not be so, but it is, that our days of feasting are very seldom days of sanctified enjoyment.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

The Transcendental Importance of Christmas

Philip Yancey

Unlike most people, I do not feel much Dickensian nostalgia at Christmastime. The holiday fell just a few days after my father died early in my childhood, and all my memories of the season are darkened by the shadow of that sadness.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

The Message of Christmas

Charles Stanley

One of the messages that we learn from the Christmas story is that of peace. While God might appear overwhelming at times, He always wants to give us the assurance that with Him, peace reigns, even in the announcement of His Son’s birth.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

The Voice of the Shepherd

Charles Stanley

Have you ever seen a child who cannot find his mother in a crowd? Although she may be out of sight, the little tyke may still hear her voice. It is almost as though his inner radar scans the sounds around him, looking for that one familiar tone.

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

Where the Real Power Resides

Charles R. Swindoll

The great apostle Paul was just like you and me. He had a love for God blended with feet of clay. Great passion . . . and great weakness. The longer I thought about this blend, the more evidence emerged from Scripture to support it.