Boast Carefully-Daily Message-September 30, 2008

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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Dear Daily Message Readers,[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']READ: [/FONT][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Jonah 2:7-10[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']BIBLEGATEWAY LINK: [/FONT][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jonah%201;&version=47; [/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Jonah 2:7-8 [/FONT][FONT='Arial','sans-serif'](ESV) “[/FONT][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']When my life was ebbing away, I called out to the LORD, and my prayer came to your holy temple. 8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.”[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']This is a difficult verse to understand in the original. I am not a Hebrew scholar, but the word for “hope” (also “mercy) can also be translated another way. You see this in many versions with the word “faithfulness” or “faithful to” something. [/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Why does this matter to you? Because it really gives us a glimpse into the Lord’s work in Jonah’s life. I have taken this to mean “hope” or “mercy.” The other place this word is used in is 4:2. There Jonah complains to God that He was a “gracious and merciful” God to the wicked city of Nineveh. Jonah boasts in today’s topic verse (2:8) that he deserves to be delivered because of his loyalty to the true God. [/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']What irony! Jonah’s false idols had been his pride and numbness to the word of the Lord. Remember that he is still in the belly of the fish. He will soon preach the message of repentance of originally required of him. But, like Peter, his pride for his country, himself, and his desires will cause him to stumble. Jonah will forget that God’s mercy is extended to those that truly repent of their sin and embrace the true God..[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Be careful this day that your boasting in the cross of Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14) doesn’t cause you to become prideful in yourself in the process.[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Faith Lesson: [/FONT][FONT='Arial','sans-serif']Your single passion and praise is the finished and completed work of Jesus Christ. If you ever lose focus of that, you will quickly find pride welling up into sin.[/FONT]
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[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']In Christ,
Darin Smith[/FONT]