“And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” -Jonah 1:17

We love the story of Jonah. It is one the kids are surely to learn in Sunday School; after all, the guy gets swallowed by a huge fish! Adults like it because it reveals how God keeps his wrath from those who repent. Pastors like it because we can tell you just how hard-nosed we all are, but we should still follow God's commands!

The story is brilliant for so many reasons, especially because Jesus makes the claim of being a better and truer Jonah as he has the sign of this prophet.

Verse 17 gives us another facet of this splendid prophet. Of course it involves the fish! But notice that the Lord appointed the fish. Here we have God in all of his sovereignty. This is the Lord who made the waves to be overwhelming for the boat and that determined for the fish to take Jonah where he belonged. God is fully in control.

Even when Jonah thinks he is getting away, he is in his own will playing into God's sovereign decree. What an amazing authority God has to appoint creatures for his purpose and will.

Fast forward to your life; God has not lessened or lost his sovereignty. Just as with Jonah, he is working his plan, and you, free will and all, are playing right into his plan and purpose. Let this truth encourage you today. Jesus is in control. Live and don't freak out. God has this!

“Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession…” -Hebrews 3:1

Let us be thankful for this reminder to look up. Many days, we can feel like all we can do is look down, or look around us at the chaos of life. But those who have faith in Christ look not to lesser things for direction or hope; we are to consider Jesus.

How might you consider him today? Consider how he is fully God and fully man. How he entered into the mess of humanity to make it right, to correct what we made wrong. Consider his perfect life, full obedience, never doubting, never sinning — this life lived in our place. Consider his preaching of the coming of the kingdom, the upside-down kingdom that elevates the humble and secures those who trust in God. Consider his death, after a beating to hang on the cross physically dying, spiritually meeting the full weight of wrath against sin as our substitute. Consider his final breaths and his declaration that “It is finished” (John 19:30) Consider the tomb where they laid his body, the stillness of those days, the unknown. Consider life bursting forth from the grave as he rose again. Consider his call to make disciples of all preaching the good news he taught and deliverer. Consider his gift of the Holy Spirit to empower you to live new. And consider his return and forever reign in peace and perfection.

Consider Jesus. Look up and live.