Book of Remembrance - God does not need a written record in order to keep track of human deeds. However, when He speaks to us, He often uses metaphor or parable to help us understand. Jesus spoke of storing up treasure in heaven, as though making deposits into a bank account. Those who continue to honor the Lord can rest in the confidence that their names are written in God’s book of remembrance. He hears and knows the intent of every heart and desires to honor those who honor Him. Faithful service may go on for years with no apparent reward, but He is taking note. Loyalty to God does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. There is coming a day when He will act

 What is the book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16)?

Malachi 3:16–18 says, “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,
and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.

"‘They will be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. 

"So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.’”

The book of Malachi is a detailed account from the Lord to Israel about their disobedience. 

His charges against them includes 

- offering defective sacrifices (Malachi 1:8), 

- teaching error (Malachi 2:8), 

- being unfaithful to their wives (Malachi 2:13–14), and

- complaining that it was futile to serve the Lord (Malachi 3:13–14). 

God pronounces strict judgments upon those guilty of such offenses (Malachi 2:2, 9). 

He then makes it clear that He hears and knows the intent of every heart and desires to honor those who honor Him. 

He knows those who refuse to murmur against Him (Numbers 14:27, 36; Deuteronomy 1:27; Psalm 106:25).

Several places in Scripture refer to God’s “book” (Exodus 32:32; Psalm 56:8; 69:28; Daniel 7:10; 12:1; Revelation 13:8; 20:15). 

In His infinite knowledge, God does not need a written record in order to keep track of human deeds.

However, when He speaks to us, He often uses metaphor or parable to help us understand (Mark 4:33). 

As Malachi presented God’s words to the people, they would have understood what a book of remembrance represented. 

The kings of Persia kept such books, records of those who had rendered service to the king, that those servants might be rewarded. 

The book of Esther contains a good example of this (Esther 6:1–3).

It is also important to note that the reward was often delayed. 

That’s why books were needed, so that no worthy deed for the king went unrewarded. 

In Malachi 3:17 the Lord says, “‘On the day when I act . . . .” 

He is indicating that faithful service may go on for years with no apparent reward, but He is taking note.

There is coming a day when He will act. 

One reason the Israelites had grown lax in their obedience and were becoming jealous of evildoers was that they thought the Lord did not see or care (Malachi 3:14–15; cf. Psalm 94:7; Ezekiel 8:12).

However, Scripture is clear that loyalty to God does not go unnoticed or unrewarded. 

Jesus spoke of this many times (Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:23; Revelation 22:12). 

He spoke of storing up treasure in heaven, as though making deposits into a bank account (Matthew 6:20).

The implication is that what is done on earth is forever recorded in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:10). 

The book of remembrance is simply a concept God used to encourage His faithful ones that their love and service for Him was appreciated.

It is His promise that, when His judgment comes against those who reject Him, He knows His own and will preserve them. 

The account of righteous Noah is a good illustration of God preserving those who honor Him (Genesis 6:9).

Jesus encouraged His followers to “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). 

Even as He said it, Jesus knew that their faithfulness to Him would result in earthy trouble, heartache, and even death (Matthew 24:9; Acts 9:16; 12:2). 

But knowing that their names were written in God’s book helped the disciples persevere to the end (Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13). 

Galatians 6:9 continues the theme of future reward: 

“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” 

Those who continue to honor the Lord when many around them fall away can rest in the confidence that their names are written in God’s book of remembrance.

Got Questions Ministries

Got Questions Ministries seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually related questions through an internet presence."

GotQuestions.org is a ministry of dedicated and trained servants who have a desire to assist others in their understanding of God, Scripture, salvation, and other spiritual topics. We are Christian, Protestant, evangelical, theologically conservative, and non-denominational. We view ourselves as a para-church ministry, coming alongside the church to help people find answers to their spiritually related questions.

gotquestions.org

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The Jewels of the Lord - God notes our times of spiritual fellowship with other believers — especially, when they occur during times of stress and worldly opposition - our names written in that special book of God’s memories

Smile! You're On CCTV - we must remember the things we will give an account of. God makes a record in Heaven of what is done by people on earth and serve as a point of reference for eternal rewards

Treasures in Heaven - God continues to refine us that we would become precious gems when morning comes. Thank God for His great mercy

You cannot curse what God has blessed - the Almighty is warning us and the nations — including Israel itself — that there are consequences to our many national sins

Opinion: Discovery of “cursed tablet” is warning to antisemites

Tablet found on Mount Ebal in the Samaria mountains
 in the West Bank containing the word "curse" 10 times

“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse... you shall proclaim the blessings upon Mount Gerizim, and the curses upon Mount Ebal” (Deuteronomy 11: 26, 29).

Some 3,400 years ago, the God of Israel renewed a covenant with the Israelites upon their entrance into the Promised Land in a solemn ceremony involving two mountains — Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim.

Half of the Israelite tribes stood on Mt. Gerizim, representing blessings for obedience, and the other six tribes stood on Mt. Ebal, representing curses that would befall the nation for disobedience.

The recent discovery of an ancient “curse” tablet corroborates this biblical narrative, and I believe it has very deep spiritual significance for our generation.

Archeologists sifting through debris from Mt. Ebal in biblical Samaria made one of the most significant discoveries: the now already famous folded “curse tablet” dating back to the late Bronze Age bears one of the Proto-Hebrew names for God. 

Dr. Scott Stripling and a team from the Associates for Biblical Research uncovered the tablet in late 2019 and have begun releasing their findings after nearly three years of painstaking research.  

In both the Book of Deuteronomy and the Book of Joshua, Mt. Ebal is described as a place where the Israelites agreed that those who broke God’s Law would be cursed while the adjacent Mt. Gerizim represented the blessings they would receive through obedience.

The inscription represents a legally binding document, a covenant that was made between the ancient Israelites and the God of Israel who promised to bless them if they kept the terms of the covenant as recorded in Deuteronomy 27 and 28.

The tablet says:“Cursed, cursed, cursed  cursed by the God YHW. You will die cursed. Cursed you will surely die. Cursed by YHW cursed, cursed, cursed.”

According to Dr. Stripling, the ominous inscription confirms the biblical account of Mt. Ebal and he said the discovery “is a 10 on a scale of one to 10… To find the name of God written twice on such an ancient artifact is historic from this early time period.” 

It represents the whole nation binding themselves to the Lord's covenant.

The discovery of the Mt. Ebal tablet follows the initial discovery of Joshua's altar by the late Israeli archaeologist Adam Zertal. It was found among discarded materials from those early excavations at the altar site. 

The tablet is a stunning example of archaeology validating the truth of the Bible. But to hardened hearts, the discovery may seem negative or even superstitious because of the repetition of the word cursed. 

People who hate the Bible will scorn because the Bible to them is nothing but negativity and religious restrictions. 

Skeptics and agnostics do not understand that God’s purpose in setting restraints upon behavior is for our mental, physical and spiritual benefit.

But to those who are spiritually attuned, the discovery comes across as a stark warning.

Do you recall a number of years ago that a medieval manuscript of Psalm 83 was found in a bog in Ireland?

That discovery was a message from God reminding the nations mentioned in that psalm that they conspire in vain against Israel because, as the Bible teaches in Genesis 12:3 and Numbers 23:8, you cannot curse what God has blessed. 

God has determined at this time to bless the return of the Jews to the Holy Land.

So, in the mercy of God, the discovery of the “cursed tablet” is a warning to antisemites in a season of increased antisemitism.  

It is also a warning to the Church and to the nations. 

In the churches for the most part very little repentance is preached concerning our gross national sins. Instead, sermons tend to emphasize how to be blessed. 

So why didn’t God allow a “blessed, blessed, blessed” tablet to be discovered from Mt. Gerizim rather than a “cursed, cursed, cursed” message from Mt. Ebal?  

Whether we like it or not, the Almighty is warning us and the nations — including Israel itself — that there are consequences to our many national sins.

By CHRISTINE DARG

Christine Darg is co-founder of the Jerusalem Channel

jpost.com

Related Links:

Empowered To Prosper - we have a better covenant, established upon better promises - Jesus is the surety of a new covenant with better blessings

The Millennium - those who live to the end of the Tribulation and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be allowed to enter the Millennium in the flesh

When Grief Grows and Loss Lingers - God's love leads us on toward new life with resurrection hope

Don't dilute the Word! - If we want to live and walk in the truth we will believe God’s Word undiluted without compromise or private interpretation,

 "(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:" - 2 Peter 2:8-9  

When Yeshua (Jesus) was attacked by Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, He countered every attack with the Word of God.  

But notice in Satan’s second attack – the enemy himself quoted the Scriptures, saying, “If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'” 

(Matthew 4:6 was a quote from Psalm 91:11, but the phrase, “to keep thee in all thy ways” was absent from Satan's quote).

If we learn anything from this, we will realize that Satan has knowledge and some understanding of Scripture, and that he will use the Word attempting to deceive us with it into wrong actions. 

This tactic goes back even as far as the Garden of Eden where the adversary twisted God’s word saying, "Did God really say you shall not eat from every tree in the garden?"

So it is today, that all around us we are hearing constant abuses, questions, and attacks against the truth and reliability of God’s Word. 

Did God really create the world ... in six days?  

Did God really say that marriage consists of a union between a man and a woman?  

Is God really going to judge the world and destroy it with fire?  

Has God really defined absolute moral truth?

The enemy is constantly attempting to erode and destroy the foundational truths of God’s word using distortions, corruptions, half-truths, and modern "interpretations."

For he knows that “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” - (Psalm 11:3)

Let’s not be deceived by these subtle ploys of Satan.  

If we agree to alter or dilute the Word of God to accommodate our circumstances or natural inclinations, we will end up exactly where that serpent wants us; in disobedience, sin, and sorrow. 

You know, Satan has been using religious language to tempt the saints since the beginning of time, even to the point of trying to persuade people that he doesn't even exist.  

We must be discerning. 

If we want to live and walk in the truth we will believe God’s Word undiluted without compromise or private interpretation, seeking to understand it with the help of His Holy Spirit, Who is the only perfect interpreter.  

If we do, the enemy's deceptions will fail, and we will be delivered from every temptation!

Worthy Devotions

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Satan Has But a Short Time - God’s care is always at hand to deliver His own. We overcome only in so far as we take shelter in the blood of the Lamb and wield as our weapon the Word of God. As Satan was cast out of heaven, so he shall be cast out of earth

Fight the Right Foe - persecution is not the manifestation of another person's hate for you. It's a manifestation of Satan's fear of you. Zero in on Satan with authority and the Word of God and bring your real enemy down

Satan Cannot Read Minds - only God knows all things, including all of our thoughts. God alone knows every human heart, not Satan. Satan is powerful, but not compared to God's power

Choosing Love in the Midst of Evil and Violence - when the law is unable to do its work, injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, violence, strife, and conflict abound. "The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” Jesus used similar words to describe the last days before his return. Love, which fulfills the law would grow cold: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Love become numb gradually over time. Even in the darkest circumstances, we can choose to continue showing love. The light shines brighter in the darkness

If God is good, why isn’t he intervening to bring peace and healing?

People have wrestled with questions like this over the centuries.

While we won’t be able to untangle all the deep mysteries about God and evil in this short devotional, the ministry of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk provides us some insights into the source of earthly suffering and the solution that God provides through his people.

Habakkuk was a prophet to the tiny nation of Judah during the closing moments of its survival. 

His home was surrounded by enemies, some less than a day’s walk away. 

His own nation had strayed from God, worshipping the idols of surrounding nations and sacrificing their children to them. 

The discovery of the Book of the Law during the reign of King Josiah caused great fear and mourning as the people of Judah realized the extent of their disobedience.

Habakkuk challenged God about the evil and violence he saw in his nation:

“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?

"Why do you make me look at injustice? 

"Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

"Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 

"Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. 

"The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” – Habakkuk 1:2-4

The Hebrew word תָּפ֣וּג (tapug or “paralyzed”) used to describe what had happened to the law in Habakkuk 1:4 means to have grown cold or become numb. 

When the law is unable to do its work, injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, violence, strife, and conflict abound.

Jesus used similar words to describe the last days before his return. 

Love, which fulfills the law (Romans 13:18-10), would grow cold:

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 24:12-13

How does love become numb? 

It happens gradually over time. 

Imagine you move to a new home and want to meet your neighbors. 

Maybe you take a home baked cake and knock on their door. 

They open it, scowl at you, and slam the door. 

How would you feel? 

Confused and rejected? 

Would you risk being hurt again? 

Or would you build a protective barrier around yourself and choose not to put yourself in that situation again?

That protective barrier desensitizes a part of your heart. It becomes numb.

So, what’s the alternative? 

Even in the darkest circumstances, we can choose to continue showing love. 

The light shines brighter in the darkness.

Corrie Ten Boom and her family chose love during the dark days of the Second World War. 

They helped many Jewish people by hiding them behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom. 

Eventually Corrie’s family was betrayed and sent to a concentration camp in Germany.

Even there, Corrie and her sister Bettie continued to love:

“Do you know what hurts so very much? It’s love. 

"Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. 

"There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. 

"But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.” – Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place

Amid all the angry Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, a friend of mine was convicted when the Holy Spirit asked her, “What is your plan to love your enemy?” 

She pondered that question, and began praying for others like her who admitted they didn’t have such a plan.

While the evils of the Second World War and the violent conflicts in the world today might seem far removed from our peaceful homes, your “enemy” could be anyone that fills you with anger or fear.

Does anyone come to mind? 

What is your plan to love them? 

How can we keep our love from growing cold?

By Wendy Halloun, Creative Communications Officer MENA, Biblica.

Find an NIV Bible that’s right for you! There’s an NIV Bible for every age and need – Bibles for study, devotions, journaling, classic reference, large print, youth, and more. Find yours today!

Biblica is a global Bible ministry, releasing the world’s most widely read Scriptures for maximum Gospel impact. Now in its third century of mission, Biblica continues to produce relevant and reliable Scripture translations and innovative resources that invite millions of people to discover the love of Jesus Christ.

thenivbible.com

Unclean Lips and Hardened Hearts - Isaiah was to declare the Word of the Lord to a nation who were judicially blind and spiritually bankrupt. Many decades of rebellion and disobedience had caused Israel to become a people who listened without hearing and looked without understanding. Isaiah was called to alert his people, and us, to our sin and our need of salvation. He warns against hardening our heart. But for those with ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that is ready to understand, he gives us some of the most beautiful descriptions of the coming Messiah and the eternal hope we have in Him

 What Does Isaiah 6:9 Mean? 

"He said, 'Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'" - Isaiah 6:9 (NASB)

In the year that king Uzziah died, Isaiah had a great vision of the glory, majesty, and holiness of the Lord.

It not only caused him to recognize his own sinfulness and admit to his own foul speech and impure actions but, caused him to identify with his own people - a sinful nation with blackened hearts and unclean lips.

The contrast was so stark that Isaiah immediately repented of his wickedness: 

"Woe is me," he wept.

"I am ruined. I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips." 

He had seen the holy God of Israel, the King of heaven, the Lord of hosts, and was shocked by his own impurity and the sinfulness of his people. 

A holy seraph of God cleansed his lips with a burning coal from the heavenly altar, when Isaiah repented of his corrupt and iniquitous ways, and in response to God's call on his life.

He cried out, "LORD, here am I. 

"Send me." 

When his own sins were confessed and forgiven by God, Isaiah was ready and willing to be sent on a life-time mission to minister to his own, sinful nation who were blinded to their own faults.

Chapter one offers a shockingly graphic description of Israel's evil-doing, which could have deterred Isaiah from consecrating himself to God's service: 

"Alas, sinful nation. You are a people weighed down with iniquity," is the Lord's vigorous verdict on His people.

"You are the offspring of evildoers, sons who act corruptly! 

"You have abandoned the LORD. 

"You have despised the Holy One of Israel. 

"You have turned away from Him completely."

They are described as being sick from the sole of their foot even to the crown of their head, with nothing to commend them. 

They are described as being covered with wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores. 

They are identified as children who rebelled against God.

Most men who consecrate their lives to serving the Lord and evangelizing the lost, expect to see some positive response from their ministries. 

But Isaiah is not left under any such illusion as to the reception he will receive, for the Lord tells him,

"Go, and tell this people, 'Keep on listening, but do not perceive; Keep on looking, but do not understand.'"

The rebellious hearts of those to whom Isaiah would dedicate his life and ministry, would not recognize their evil ways nor repent of their sin. 

Rather, they would become increasingly hardened against God. 

Their ears, their eyes, and their hearts would not be moved by Isaiah's message.

Isaiah was to declare the Word of the Lord to a nation who were judicially blind and spiritually bankrupt. 

Many decades of rebellion and disobedience had caused Israel to become a people who listened without hearing and looked without understanding.

This verse describes the result of his ministry rather than the content of his message. 

It tells of the inevitable outcome of his years of preaching to a rebellious people with their unclean lips and hardened hearts: they will ultimately reject their Messiah. 

How sobering that a heart may become so hardened that their condition is set and unable to be reversed. 

Isaiah was called to alert his people, and us, to our sin and our need of salvation.

He warns against hardening our heart to the message of salvation. 

But for those with ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that is ready to understand, he gives us some of the most beautiful descriptions of the coming Messiah and the eternal hope we have in Him.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, it must have been wonderful for Isaiah to see the Lord, high and lifted up, but what a solemn message he was given, that people would hear his words but reject his message. 

Lord, it is human nature to expect people to respond positively to the glorious gospel of grace, and yet I see that many will hear the words of the gospel but not listen or understand because of the hardness of their hearts. 

Help me not to become discouraged when I try to share the gospel and am rebuffed or scorned. 

Help me to be faithful in the work You have given me to do and I pray that some would hear and respond with repentance and joy, for the honor of Your holy name. 

This I ask in Jesus' name, AMEN.

"Knowing Jesus" is a ministry aiming at edifying the body of Christ through doctrinal sound teaching.

If this page is unmanned ... then the most likely explanation is the rapture has happened. The rapture of the church is the "catching up" of the church taught in 1 Thessalonian 4:13-18. All people who have trusted Christ are taken to be with Jesus. No one knows the date when this will be. 

If the rapture has happened it is not too late for you. Put your trust in Jesus Christ work on the cross. He died for sin and rose again. Believe this and have your sin forgiven and be saved.

knowing-jesus.com

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Rejecting Jesus - so many people reject the way of the Lord in a time of rebellion. Rejecting Jesus as the way of peace leads to the destruction that would follow. Perhaps they think that they can later follow him whenever and however they may choose. They will forfeit much peace as the consequences of their rebellion and procrastination bring them heartache after heartache. Let's live and act with great urgency in the lives of those we love and ask God to help us reach them for Jesus so their lives and their eternities will not be squandered on what is not peace

Streams in my desert: When People Love Darkness - people come up with excuses as to why they don’t come into a relationship with Jesus Christ. They call them reasons and might even classify them as questions but they are nothing more than excuses. There is only one reason that people aren’t putting their faith in Christ - they love darkness and don’t want to change. The worst sin a person can commit is unbelief. Unbelief is a choice. If they continue in a pattern of rejecting Jesus Christ, they can go beyond that point

Streams in my desert: The Sin That Leads to Death - Jesus told the religious leaders that they were in danger of committing the unpardonable sin because they were accusing Jesus of using satanic powers to perform miracles. To blaspheme the Holy Spirit by attributing the miracles of Jesus to Satan is unforgiveable. They are “guilty of an eternal sin.” There is only one sin today that God will not forgive - rejecting Jesus Christ. There is no sin which God will not forgive except failing to trust in Christ

Streams in my desert: The Unpardonable Sin - the unpardonable sin was the sin of the nation of Israel which rejected Christ in the face of much contrary evidence. It can only be committed today by unbelievers - they are abandoned to their own fate and must bear the full weight of their unbelief. We must urge all to trust Christ as Savior. God stands ready to forgive those who confess their sins. He also cleanses us, spiritually speaking, so that we feel free. Forgiveness is available for those who desire it

Streams in my desert: Day of Fire - the Lord promises to make a new earth where those who humbled themselves to receive His righteousness can live without fear of evil. To do that, He will first rid this fading world of those who are bent on wrongdoing. The Lord will judge Earth with fire. The very foundations of the mountains will burn. Those who reject these warnings will be caught willfully unaware when the day arrives. Whoever will accept this message can prepare for this day of fire

Streams in my desert: The Millennium - those who live to the end of the Tribulation and have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be allowed to enter the Millennium in the flesh. Jesus will reign as king of the world from Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He has promised to deliver the Creation from its bondage to decay and to restore it to its original beauty, balance, and peace

Wake Up and Sound the Alarm - storms of every kind are brewing, social, economic, political, military. Many lives are falling apart. We might be weighed down and paralyzed by it all, or just deeply apathetic because they all deserve judgment while we await the Rapture. So be awakened to your calling and sound the alarm. As the very prophetic words of Yeshua (Jesus) are coming to pass - it should be a wake-up call to us. He told us when you see "all of these things" coming to pass, know that the Kingdom is near ... even at the doors

"But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. 

"Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. 

"But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep." - Jonah 1:4-5 

It must have been a bad storm. 

These men were experienced, hardened sailors who had seen it all at sea. 

If they were scared, this could have been the first "perfect storm" since Noah's flood. 

So, they started the first interfaith prayer meeting in the Bible, each man crying out to his own god.  

As the ship groaned and creaked in howling wind and massive waves, and the men threw cargo overboard in a desperate attempt to save it, where was Jonah? 

On deck helping them? 

Confidently praying to His own God? 

Shaking with fear and paralyzed with deep conviction?

No, he’s taking a nap down below ...

How could anyone sleep through a storm like this - especially a prophet of the Most High? 

I see a few possibilities: one, Jonah was a prophet whose relationship with the Lord was so close he was used to trusting Him through all kinds of difficulties, so he was just abiding in his usual trust. 

Remember Yeshua (Jesus) also slept during a very bad storm on the Sea of Galilee. 

Or maybe the hold of the ship was so deep, and Jonah was so tired that he wasn't aware of the grave danger up above, a perfectly natural explanation. 

And there's one more possibility: Jonah's disobedience made him vulnerable to the enemy. 

(For example, I have at times been somehow induced into slumber when I've made a serious decision to spend time in prayer.)

We know for sure the enemy wants us to sleep while the world falls apart around us.

His interests are served when we relax in our own eternal security while others are dying in the storms of this world. 

But Jonah's apathy toward Nineveh morphed into one which actually threatened his own life, without his even being aware of it. 

He had the authority and capacity to save the others.

But the enemy may have poured out on him such a spirit of apathy and deadening slumber that it required the desperate pagans, far more aware of the danger, to rouse the prophet back to his true calling.

Storms are brewing of every kind; social, economic, political, military. 

Houses are "burning"; ships are "sinking". 

Many lives are falling apart.

We might be weighed down and paralyzed by it all, or just deeply apathetic because they all deserve judgment while we await the "rapture". 

But I don't think the Lord wants us to sleep through these storms. 

At least, not with Jonah's attitude.

So be awakened to your calling and sound the alarm! 

As the very prophetic words of Yeshua (Jesus) are coming to pass - it should be a wake-up call to us, for He told us when you see "all of these things" coming to pass, know that the Kingdom is near ... even at the doors! [Matthew 24:33]

Worthy Devotions is a daily devotional ministry delivering inspiring, uplifting, and encouraging messages straight from Israel.

worthydevotions.com

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A Second Chance - God gave Jonah a message for Nineveh: Destruction was approaching. Jonah tried to run away, but instead found himself inside a great fish. Jonah cried out to the Lord. Even in his rebellion, Jonah knew he could run back to God. God gave Jonah a second chance to deliver the message. God also extended mercy to the people of Nineveh when they repented after hearing Jonah’s preaching. No matter how wicked a person or society has become, God responds to repentance with forgiveness

Thanking God Ahead of Time - Jonah knew he messed up. We’ve all been there, yet that doesn’t stop God’s mission for you. Jonah’s life mission remained the same. Your life mission remains the same, too, even when you mess up. Jonah thanked God by trusting him for success. We always want to thank God when he answers our prayers, but we show faith in God if we also do it beforehand. God will never abandon you, even if you disobey his will. That’s why you can thank him even before your prayers are answered

The Father of the heavenly lights does not change like shifting shadows - we understand God’s sorrow over man’s sin. The fact that we are alive today is proof that God did not “change His mind” about the creation. God is entirely consistent. Because God does not change, He must treat the righteous differently from the unrighteous. If someone repents, God forgives; if someone refuses to repent, God consistently judges. He is unchanging in His nature, His plan and His being