Today's Reading:

There is no reading today, but you can use this time to catch up on any days that you may have missed this week. 

Click here to access prior days.
 

Congratulations!! You are halfway through the year of reading every day in the Bible!!

He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry."
Jonah 2:2

Jonah was inside of a giant fish, swallowed whole. Can you imagine the darkness, the smell, the seaweed, and the crushing weight of his disobedience? He was surrounded by total darkness with no escape. He would have had doubts. What if he had gone to Nineveh? What if he had never gotten on the boat? What if…? He was thankful to have not drowned, but now what?

The Hebrew word for “Realm of the Dead” is “Sheol”. Meaning where the shadowy place of the grave, the pits, or the deepest despair, separated from God. Jonah was alive, trapped, and spiritually dead. He was cut off from the world, sinking with no escape plan.

Yet God heard him. Just like the whisper of Elijah, God knew exactly where Jonah was. That is the power of grace. He is willing to listen and rescue, not because we are good, but because He is merciful. Jonah ran from God’s call and ended up in a fish tomb. God provided the fish not as final judgment, but as a turning point. That quiet (and terrifying) place we go for repentance and to turn back to Him.

In dark moments when anxiety can feel suffocating, regret seems to pull you under, or consequences of poor choices leave you feeling buried alive, you do not need to run. You do not need to be swallowed by a fish or have the perfect words; just cry out. The same God who heard Jonah from the depths of Sheol hears you in your despair. He is not distant. He will rescue you with grace.

This week we saw Elisha’s powerful miracles. The kings of Israel continued evil while Jehu rid Israel of Ahab’s house and Baal worship. God still chased Israel, even though they continued in their idolatrous ways and a moral decline that continued to get worse. The southern kings started off good but most still fell short of faithfulness, although Jotham showed that seeking the Lord could be beneficial. God has power and patience but will still bring judgment for sin, while His people learn to follow.

Today's discussion question: 

Click here to link to our Facebook group for discussion, questions, and additional content.