Sunday (1/22)

As we continue reading and studying the books of the Minor Prophets section of the Old Testament of the Bible, this week we will read portions of Jonah and Micah. According to biblical scholar Tim Mackie in the Bible Project Overview: Jonah video, “Jonah is unique among the prophets of the Old Testament because they are typically collections of God’s words spoken through the prophet, but this book doesn’t actually focus on the words of the prophet. It is a story about a prophet.” The only other time Jonah is included in the Old Testament is during the reign of King Jeroboam II of the Kingdom of Israel (2 Kings 14:23-25). Jeroboam II was yet another king who led God’s people away from the will of the Lord to do evil. “He did evil in the eyes of the LORD…which he had caused Israel to commit” (2 Kings 14:24 NIV). According to the NIV Study Bible, “this book is a narrative account of a single prophetic mission. Its treatment of that mission is thus similar to the accounts of the ministries of Elijah and Elisha found in 1 & 2 Kings, and to certain narrative sections of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.” In the Bible Project overview video, Tim Mackie explains that the literary style of this book is satire, with a rebellious Jewish prophet, pagan sailors repenting, the king of Assyria humbling himself before the God of the Israelite, as well as animals of the capital city of Assyria being “covered with sackcloth” as an act of repentance (Johan 3:8 NIV). The book reveals that Jonah was very upset with God’s mercy and compassion that he offered the Assyrians, the sworn enemy of the Kingdom of Israel.

 

The New Interpreter’s Bible One Volume Commentary published by Abingdon Press states in the overview of the book of Micah, “rich in imagery, metaphors, and intricate wordplays, the book of Micah presents itself as a word addressed to the people of Israel and Judah in the latter half of the eight century BCE during the reign of Jotham (742-735 BCE), Ahaz (735-715 BCE), and Hezekiah (715-685 BCE)…Together with Amos, Isaiah, and Hosea, Micah was one of the four great prophets of the eight century BCE…His name means ‘who is like the Lord.’” The overview in the NIB goes on to explain that “Micah makes clear that Israel’s God will not tolerate injustice rooted in and flowing from apostasy, idolatry, hypocrisy, the disregard for the Torah, and a break in the covenant relationship…yet the final word of the book as a whole offers a word of universal compassion (7:18-20).

 

If you did not read the previous books of Genesis through Obadiah in 2022 and 2023, you are encouraged to watch the Bible Project video about the Old Testament to have a clearer understanding of the full story within the text of the Hebrew Bible using the link below. The video summarizes the scriptures of the ancient Jewish people that became the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It is available on YouTube.

TaNaK/Old Testament by the Bible Project:

 

Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the Bible reveals without trying to make it say what you want it to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. What do these verses reveal about God?

4. What do these verses reveal about humanity?

5. What do these verses teach me about myself?

6. How do you see yourself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small group.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

 

Monday (1/23)

Read the verse from Psalm 145 that is below to begin your devotional time:

“The LORD is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.” – Psalm 145:8 NLT

 

If you did not watch it sometime during the past few weeks, you are encouraged to watch The Prophets video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube as an overview of the prophetic writings and books of the Old Testament before you begin reading and studying two of the Minor Prophets this week:

The Prophets by the Bible Project

 

Consider watching the Overview: Jonah video on Youtube by the Bible Project before beginning to read the verses today:

Overview: Jonah by the Bible Project

 

Read Jonah 1 and 2. If you are using a Study Bible, it will be helpful to read the Introduction for this book. As you read the verses for today, invite the Holy Spirit to veal God’s message to you through the biblical text.

 

Pray for:

• Those closest to you (family members & friends)
• Those who point others towards God (pastors, teachers, mentors, authors, musicians, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, imprisoned, neglected, abused, lost, etc.)

• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

 

 

Tuesday (1/24)

Read Psalm 145:8 as a reminder of God’s mercy and compassion.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening for the internal whisper of the Holy Spirit. If you struggle to listen, focus on the physical sounds you hear. The Spirit of the Lord can use the noises you hear to help you set your thoughts on the One who enables you to hear and perceive.

 

Read Jonah 3 and 4. You may find it helpful to choose questions from the Sunday list of this devotional to wrestle with as part of your study time. If you are using a Study Bible, consider reading the study notes to understand the chapters more clearly.

 

Pray for people around the world who need to experience God’s mercy and compassion, including the enemies of the Israelites, the United Stated, and the Church of Jesus Christ.

 

 

Wednesday (1/25)

Read Psalm 145:8.

 

Consider watching the Overview: Micah video on Youtube by the Bible Project before beginning to read the verses today:

Overview: Micah by the Bible Project

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLIabZc0O4c

 

Read Micah 1 and 2. If you are using a Study Bible, it will be helpful to read the Introduction for this book. As you read the verses for today invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s message to you through the biblical text.

 

Pray through your day, including for the people you will be with or have been with, as well as what you will do or what you have done.

 

 

Thursday (1/26)

Read Psalm 145:8 as a reminder of our God’s unfailing love.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend a few minutes or more alone with God silently listening. Be still physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritual, knowing that God is in charge and in control (Psalm 46:10). Don’t let your mind drift towards to-do-lists or tasks, but stop long enough to let your thoughts cease so that your only focus is being with the Lord.

 

Read Micah 3 and 4. As you read the verses for today invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s message to you through the text.

 

Pray in response to God using the ACTS acronym as a guide:

Adoration (praise the Lord)

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication (share your needs & the needs of others)

 

 

Friday (1/27)

Read Psalm 145:8.

 

 

Pray in response to God based on the Bible verses. Invite the Holy Spirit to guide your prayer and prayer time.

 

 

Saturday (1/28)

How are you going to remember and observe the Sabbath this weekend? The Sabbath is a day each week that is set apart from the others to stop, rest, worship, and delight in the Lord and what he has given us. Because of our very busy culture and over-scheduled lives you may need to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each week beginning with an hour, then increasing it to multiple hours or part of a day the next weekend, and eventually designating an entire day for remembering and observing the Sabbath.

 

Read Deuteronomy 5:12-15, which is part of Moses’ retelling of the Ten

Commandments to the Israelites who were about to enter the Promised Land after their people had been wandering for forty years. Imagine the “delight” the Israelites must have felt knowing that they were about to experience the fulfillment of God’s promise by entering the land of Canaan. The Sabbath theme for us this weekend is “DELIGHT.”

 

• In what ways has God set you free?

 

• What is preventing you from experiencing the freedom and deliverance that God is offering through Christ?

 

• How will you set the Sabbath apart this weekend from other days of the week?

 

• What work will you set aside for another day so that you can rest and focus on the Lord today or this weekend?

 

• How will you help your family members and those who work for you in some way to experience rest and delight on the Sabbath?

 

• One of the best ways to thank someone for their gift is to use it and enjoy it. By observing and thoroughly enjoying the Sabbath you will send a message to God that you appreciate the gift He has given us.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to spend ten, twenty, or thirty minutes alone with God seeking to rest in the peace that can only be found in and from the Lord. If you struggle to stop and rest, consider laying down, kneeling, or sitting on a very comfortable chair or seat. If you need a nap, then sleep so that your mind and body receive the rest that you need.

 

Read Psalm 37:3-4 about trusting in God and delighting in Him. Seek to set aside time today or tomorrow to stop, rest, worship God, and “delight yourself in the LORD.”

 

• What is something you enjoy doing that helps you connect with God and focus on Him? Do that as you observe the Sabbath.

 

• Trust in the Lord that He is God and you are not.

 

• Trust in the Lord that six days are enough for working during a week.

 

• Share the desires of your heart with God, then seek their fulfillment in and through Him.

 

Pray and live in response to our God offering thanksgiving to our Savior. You may find it helpful to use the words from the verses you read today as a guide for your prayer.