Jonah lived in the country of Israel more than 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Israel’s greatest enemy at that time was the country of Assyria.

There is a meme going around that says: My wife just stopped and said, “You weren’t even listening, were you?” I thought… “That’s a pretty weird way to start a conversation!”
Have you realized there is a difference between hearing and listening? Yes. There definitely is.

During the Spanish-American War, some transport ships with supplies for General Shafter’s army found it impossible to drop anchor off the coast of Cuba and were compelled to steam slowly back and forth along the coast.

This week I am providing you with 4 daily devotions for your reflection and prayer. Some may fit with circumstances in your life, some may not.

Have you ever interacted with someone who challenges you – and not in a good way? I refer to the type of person who “has to be myself” and says whatever is on their mind whether it is good, irritating, or hurtful. They step on toes, and the feelings of others don’t matter.

Angela Goodman of Vancouver, British Columbia, wrote: It was Christmas, 1968. I had just emigrated from England to Canada, and I didn’t know a soul. As Christmas Day approached, I felt homesick and lonely in a strange city. Being of the Jewish faith, my family never really celebrated Christmas, but mother always cooked the traditional kosher turkey. No tree or presents. We only listened to the Queen’s message.

Often, when faced with reports that stretch the imagination, we want proof. Even when those who report what seems to be impossible are reliable witnesses, we still struggle to believe them. That’s what happened to Thomas when his friends told him that Jesus had visited them the evening of his resurrection (John 20:19-29).

The season of Lent is now about half over as we move toward the celebration of Easter. The time of Lent is often seen as a time of fasting. No, this does not mean driving faster in your vehicle to try to beat the red light. It doesn’t mean running faster as you go for your daily run.

There is an old Chinese proverb that says “if your enemy wrongs you, buy his children drums.” Revenge. How often people want to seek revenge to make another person hurt the way we have been made to hurt. This is how most people want to react. Unfortunately, revenge perpetuates itself.

When my telephone rang at 12:50 a.m. the person identified herself as a dispatcher with the police department and asked if I was the police chaplain on call. I said I was. She then said there was an accident at the intersection in front of the church I served and my presence was being requested.