Hi friends! Today we read the book of Nahum. I LOVE the way that this reading plan is structured because it has us reading Jonah a few days ago when God spares Ninevah...and then gives us a different timeline of Ninevah being destroyed. That leads my head to just start spinning with questions about pre-destination, fate, etc. More thoughts on that below. I'd love to engage with you on your thoughts!
** Update on our live read session. Next Monday 6pm we'll meet on Zoom for about 40-45 minutes. We'll read the scripture from 3 days before that together. For a number of you that will be a revisit, for others it will be just catching up. Then we'll have a time to share our thoughts on that scripture and any other questions / concerns we have about our journey thus far. I'll share the link to that the 3 days leading up to it. So mark your calendars for next Monday, Feb. 1st at 6pm. **
Scripture to Read
Audio Bible
Questions to Consider
What does this teach me about God?
What does this teach me about humanity?
What does this teach me about redemption / second chances?
What are my thoughts on fate and/or destiny?
- My Thoughts -
So, good stuff here. We learn in the book of Jonah that Ninevah is a sinful group of people and that he must go there to save them...he doesn't want to but God makes him go anyways. Ninevah upon finding out that they are a sinful group of people choose to drop everything and turn their lives around. Jonah is skeptical and throws a pity party. At first thought we think this is a one off story, but then Nahum gives us a larger picture. Desruction as imminent for Ninevah. In my opinion, God sends Jonah to Ninevah with the expectation that like Israel they would not listen to the prophet and would get destroyed, but God tries first with the prophet. That shows God's mercy exists before God's wrath. Important Old Testament distinction to make.
On a practical level I have to think about all the times that I was Nineveh on a crash course with mistakes, wrong roads, and bad choices but then God intervenes through someone and sets me back on the right path. People such as my friends, my coaches, and other mentors. You know what I mean? Those people in your life that you can just highlight and say "my life became better after you were a part of it." It can feel easy to believe that God is off playing pool with the planets in the galaxy not caring about you, me, or the apple tree but passages like this reveal to me how intimately God cares about every conflict and how badly God wants us to turn from our mistakes and sinful behavior. How badly God wants to offer us mercy and grace.
When have you been to Nineveh? Who was your Jonah? Reach out and give them a little love this day.
Prayer:
The UMH has Psalm 23 for hymn number 137. I'm going to share my favorite version of Psalm 23 below...the lyrics are part of the video if you wanna sing along. Super, super anointed singing. Otherwise I encourage you to re-read psalm 23 for your prayer today. I've linked that below the video.
When I read Moby Dick (parts of it) in high school, we discussed the theme of fate vs free will. The book made the comparison that life is a hand of cards that has been dealt to you. you can make some changes, but can't control what you get, just how you play in that space.
I'd like to think that we have more free will than that. So I came up with a different comparison, life is like a sonnet. There are specific rules for each line of the poem and how it relates to the line before it. And there is a defined beginning and end, but has wiggle room in the middle. There is still a destination…