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Deaf Devo - The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States for Friday, 14 July 2017 "Minor Prophets (7)" Bible Reading: Micah 5:1-3
Micah 4:14 (5:1) Now gather yourself in troops,you who are accustomed to being in troops; they have laid siege to us. They are striking the judge of Isra’el on the cheek with a stick.5:1 (2) But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat, so small among the clans of Y’hudah, out of you will come forth to me the future ruler of Isra’el, whose origins are far in the past, back in ancient times. 2 (3) Therefore he will give up [Isra’el] only until she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his kinsmen will return to the people of Isra’el. 3 (4) He will stand and feed his flock in the strength of Adonai, in the majesty of the name of Adonai his God; and they will stay put, as he grows great to the very ends of the earth;-------
Micah was a prophet from the town of Moresheth. God gave Micah different visions and prophecies to share. One of these prophecies is found in verse 2 of our Bible Reading. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, are the smallest town in Judah. Your family is almost too small to count, but the 'Ruler of Israel' will come from you to rule for me." What happened about 700 years later?
We find that answer in the New Testament. King Herod asked the Jewish teachers where the Christ (Jesus) would be born. In Matthew 2:5a, they answered, "In the town of Bethlehem in Judea." How did they know the answer? Matthew 2:5b-6 shows us that they shared the same words Micah had written!
God is amazing! He knew 700 years before His Son, Jesus, was born that Jesus would be the "Ruler of Israel" and that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Continue to trust God. You can believe and know that God will do what He says He will do!
"You know that the Lord your God has not failed in any of his promises. He has kept every promise that he has made to us." [Joshua 23:14b ]
PRAYER: God, thank You for keeping Your promises. I trust You completely. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Deaf Devo - The Deaf Missions in Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States for Thursday, 13 July 2017 "Minor Prophets (6)" Bible Reading: Jonah 1:7-17
Jonah 1:7 Then they said to each other, “Come, let’s draw lots to find out who is to blame for this calamity.” They drew lots, and Yonah was singled out. 8 They said to him, “Tell us now, why has this calamity come upon us? What work do you do? Where are you from? What is your country? Which is your people?” 9 He answered them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear Adonai, the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.” 10 At this the men grew very afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew he was trying to get away from Adonai, since he had told them. 11 They asked him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will be calm for us?” — for the sea was getting rougher all the time. 12 “Pick me up,” he told them, “and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; because I know it’s my fault that this terrible storm has come over you.”13 Nevertheless, the men rowed hard, trying to reach the shore. But they couldn’t, because the sea kept growing wilder against them. 14 Finally they cried to Adonai, “Please, Adonai, please! Don’t let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don’t hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, Adonai, have done what you saw fit.” 15 Then they picked up Yonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. 16 Seized with great fear of Adonai, they offered a sacrifice to Adonai and made vows.
2:1 (1:17) Adonai prepared a huge fish to swallow Yonah; and Yonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.
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Our verses today tell us that God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh. God wanted Jonah to tell the people in Nineveh to stop sinning. But Jonah did not want to obey God. So Jonah got on a boat "going to the faraway city of Tarshish" (Jonah 1:3b).
God caused a great storm on the sea. The people in the boat thought they would drown. Jonah told them, "I know I did wrong - that is why the storm came on the sea" (verse 12b). So the men threw Jonah into the sea. "When Jonah fell into the sea, the Lord chose a very big fish to swallow Jonah. He was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights" (verse 17). Jonah was sorry he had disobeyed God. He prayed to God, and "the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out of its stomach onto the dry land" (Jonah 2:10). Then Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh.
Maybe you are like Jonah. Pray to God and ask Him to forgive you for disobeying Him. God loves you, and He will forgive you!
"When my followers call to me...I will rescue them and honor them."
[Psalm 91:15]
PRAYER: Dear God, please forgive me when I disobey You. Help me obey You today. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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