BIBLE MONTH – Jonah 2 v. 8 – 9

BIBLE MONTH – Jonah 2 v. 8 – 9

8 : ‘All who worship worthless idols turn from the God who offers them mercy.
9 : ‘But with shouts of praise, I will offer a sacrifice to You, my Lord.
What I have vowed I will make good (I will keep my promise), for salvation comes from the Lord.’

NOTES
It all sounds a bit ironic that Jonah bemoans those who ‘worship worthless idols’, claiming it is they that ‘turn from God’ – it is he who has run from God, and the most recent example of sacrifice, worship of the ‘God who offers mercy’, has been the sailors on the ship, who had many, many gods.

I love the phrase, ‘what I have vowed I will make good’. I don’t know what Jonah had previously vowed, or promised, or committed to – but now, in the belly of the fish, he remembers his devotion and commitment to God, revisits it and recommits to it.

What promises, commitments, covenants, vows have we made – to God, to others?

May we be people of our word – people of the Word.
May we ‘make good, the vows we have made’.

PRAYER
I am no longer my own, Lord, but Yours
Put me to what You will
Rank me with whom You will…
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to Your pleasure and disposal.
You are mine and I am Yours.
So be it. (Methodist Covenant Prayer)
AMEN.

Phil Gough