welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread I'm like whatever and I titled our reading whale of a story
 Michael was diving for lobster when a humpback whale caught him in its mouth he pushed back in the darkness as the whales muscles squeezed against him he thought he was done
 but whales don't prefer a lobsterman and 30 seconds later the whale spit Michael into the are amazingly Michael had no broken bones only extensive bruises and one whale of a story
 he wasn't the first Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish and he stayed in his belly 3 days before being vomited on to land
 unlike Michael he was caught by accident Jonah was swallowed because he hated Israel's enemies and didn't want them to repent
 when God told Jonah to preach a Nineveh he caught a boat going the other way so God sent a whale sized fish to get his attention
 I appreciate why Jonah hated the experience they harass Israel in the past and within fifty years they'd carry the northern tribes Ithaca captivity where they vanish forever Jonah was understandably offended that is Syria might be forgiven
 but Jonah was more loyal to the people of God than to the God of all people
 God loved Israel's enemies and wanted to save them
 he loves our enemies and wants to save them
 with the Wind of the spirit at our backs let's sail toward them with the good news of Jesus
 today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from Jonah chapter 2 verses 1 through 10
 from inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God he said in my distress I called to the Lord and he answered me from deep in the realm of the Dead I called for help and you listened to my cry you hurled me into the depths in the very Heart Of The Seas and their current world about me all your waves and Breakers swept over me I said I have been banished from your sight yet I will look again toward your Holy Temple
 Ian golfing Waters threatened me the Deep surrounded me seaweed was wrapped around my head to the roots of the mountains I sank down the Earth beneath barred me in forever but you Lord my God brought my life up from the pit when my life was ebbing away I remembered you Lord and my prayer roos2u to your Holy Temple
 those who cling to worthless Idols turn away from God's love for them but I with shouts of grateful praise will sacrifice to you
 what is a veld I will make good
 I will say salvation comes from the Lord
 and the Lord commanded the fish and it vomited Jonah onto dry land
 let's pray
 Lord Jesus please show us how to love our enemies as you love them
 thank you Lord
 it's in your name we pray amen
 today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries