Tuesday 26th January
Jonah’s having a difficult time. Last week we heard how he ‘did a runner’ from what God asked him to do, and the consequences of that. It brought Jonah to a pivotal time in his life – stuck in the belly of a huge fish. This week’s chapter is a record of a prayer from Jonah in response to God changing his heart and getting him ready for his task.
Brogan challenged us to explore what this period of spiritual formation involved in terms of:
Receiving or being renewed in faith (Jonah 1:17 – 2:7)
Understanding faith (Jonah 2:8)
Declaring or proclaiming faith (Jonah 2:9)
Before exploring at the story together spend some time catching up with each other, then read the passage.
The journey (Jonah 2:1-7)
The narrator is Jonah, who takes us along with him on his journey of formation:
How does Jonah describe how he felt in the belly of the fish?
How does he respond to those feelings?
How do we respond when we feel dragged down, helpless, or when we’ve run away from God? I.e. Where do we put our trust? How can we return to putting our trust in God?
‘Whose faith is it anyway?’ (Jonah 2:8)
Jonah realises his situation is hopeless and that it is God’s faithfulness to him, not Jonah’s performance, that makes the critical difference:
What realisation reorientates Jonah and gives him a new start?
What does it mean, like Jonah, to see the world through the lens of God’s love instead of clinging to ‘worthless idols’?
(Clue: Brogan linked the passage to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12:38-41. Have a look at this passage together. What does Jesus mean when He says that Jonah’s experience is a ‘sign’ – of what and who to?)
What Biblical truths do we cling to which remind us of God’s faithfulness and His goodness?
What difference does it make to Jonah? (2:9-10)
When Jonah starts to look at things in this new way, what’s the impact on his relationship with God and the people he is called to preach to?
How does remembering God’s faithfulness daily change the way we live our lives?
What difference will this make to me?
Last week we thought about being more sensitive to God’s calling and guidance.
Share what difference seeing the world in the light of God’s love will make to what you do in relation to God, and to the people around you.
Spend some time praying together.
