Daily Devotional For Saturday, June 20, 2026
Good morning and good day Southside. Our daily devotional for today comes from the book of Jonah. “Jonah” in Hebrew meas “dove.” This is a story most of us are all too familiar with from even an early age. We want to know what kind of “fish” it was? There are sperm whales and fin whales that live in the Mediterranean Sea. There are huge mammals capable of swallowing a person. Was it one of them? How was Jonah able to survive inside this “fish’s” stomach for 3 days and 3 nights? In asking such questions, we greedily erode the real message of Jonah.
The Book of Jonah is about God’s grace, something Jonah knew and had experienced, but was unwilling to give it freely to others as God had given it to him. So to remind him, God took Jonah through a very painful and almost near death experience to remind him that he did not have the greedy authority to decide who received and did not receive God’s grace. So, God challenged Jonah’s greed with a lesson about sharing grace.
According to 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah was from Gath Hepher in the territory of Zebulun (cf. Joshua 19:13) in the Northern Kingdom, and he prophesied during or shortly before the time of Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.). Before that king’s reign, Israel was being tormented by the Syrians, whose successes against them were the result of Israel’s sins (cf. 2 Kgs. 13:1-3). Israel was protected from conquest, however, in response to the pleas of King Jehoahaz (814–798 B.C.) when God sent “a deliverer” (2 Kgs. 13:5), whom many interpret to have been King Adad-nirari of Assyria (810–783).
We typically date the book of John after 722 BC, when Assyrian had already conquered Israel and forced thousands of Israelis to cross the desert to go live as slaves in Assyria. This is why Jonah does not want to go preach to the enemies of God. His heart was full of hatred, scorn, resentment and bitterness against Assyrians.
So for years, there had been hatred and enmity between Israel and Syria and Assyria. Now, it is confusing because Syria and Assyria were two separate nations and empires. Syria was located northeast of the Sea of Galilee), and its capital was Aram. Assyria was further to the east above the Arabian desert. Is started becoming a powerful military nation around 2,000 BC, but would find its supreme dominance, conquering nations such as Syria and Israel in the 700s BC.
One of the reasons God had called 12 tribes to form a nation, is so that this nation, Israel, would be God’s voice to these sinful and lost people. Israel, due to her idolatry, disobedience and rebellion, had walked away from that calling. Jonah knew God wanted him to go the enemies of Israel with a message of grace, forgiveness and love before God destroyed them. Nineveh was the capital of the future Assyrian Empire, who would eventually conquer Israel in 722 BC.
His entrapment in the darkness of this “fish” for 3 days and 3 nights was symbolic of the citizens being trapped in spiritual darkness. Obviously, being trapped inside this “fish” for 3 days and 3 nights meant he had no real way until later knowing how long God kept him there. Later in the Gospels, Jesus will compare His 3 days and 3 nights in the grave to Jonah (Matt. 12:40).
As we read the Book of Jonah, it is clear that once Jonah was thrown overboard by fishermen on the boat, the storm was so intense, he began to drown. He mentions going down to the depths of the darkness of Sheol, a reference to the place of the dead in the Old Testament. Had it not been for the grace of God in sending the “fish” to rescue him, Jonah would have died. What Jonah had refused to give to the people of Nineveh, God’s grace, he was now the recipient of it. Did Jonah deserve God’s grace? NO. And that is the lesson he learned. Jesus says this in Luke 12:48, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” (NLT).
You and I have been entrusted with God’s grace. Do we deserve it? NO. But the “much” we have been given by God is His grace. This means, God has entrusted His grace to us not just solely for us, but for us to give His grace to others. Especially those who hurt us, harm us, and see us as their enemy. If we fail to give it, well, God will allow a “fish” to swallow us until we learn the lesson.
There is another lesson that God wanted Jonah to learn. God’s sovereignty is worldwide even if other nations or individuals do not recognize it or acknowledge it. God is always in control no matter what world events are happening. God made all humans in His image and He has no desire for any of them to die and be lost for all eternity. In the Old Testament, God used prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, and Jonah for example to be His voice to these sinful nations.
Reflection Assignment: Take a moment to reflect. Who are you avoiding like Jonah that God wants to use you to share His grace with now? Maybe it is someone who has hurt you or they see you as an enemy. Instead of running from them and God, trust God and share His grace.
Scripture To Meditate On: Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I am so sorry that I play judge, jury and executioner at times. I do withhold grace from people because I do not think they deserve it. But the truth is, I do not deserve Your grace and yet you still give it. Please help me to that this week with ___________ (their name) so that I honor You with the grace You have given me. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside!-- Pastor Kelly