Jonah 1:1-16 NIV. I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas break. Happy New Year! Have you ever had one of those sat-nav rerouting moments where no matter how far off course you go, it calmly says, “Make a U-turn.” That’s the story of Jonah. God sends him north-east to Nineveh, but Jonah heads west instead. And the book shows us something remarkable: God’s response to people going the wrong way isn’t abandonment, but mercy. Like a sat-nav, he keeps pursuing, rerouting, and calling us back. Jonah takes us on a journey into the nature of God’s mercy. In today’s passage, as we see the striking stubbornness of Jonah toward God, we begin to see the saving sovereignty of God’s mercy. In spite of Jonah’s refusal of God’s directive, God is still in control. He commands and can change all things (Ps 148:5, Jer 32:17). God commands all things - Jonah and t...
