“Jonah’s Topsy – Turvy Journey”
Sunday, July 20, 2025Key Verse
“Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep” (Jonah 1:5).
Text — Jonah 1: 1-12
Message
The Choluteca Bridge is a suspension bridge located in the city of Choluteca, Honduras. It is 300 meters long and was considered one of the greatest architectural works in the country. After the hurricane in 1998, the Choluteca River carved a new channel, no longer flowing beneath the bridge. The bridge stood on dry ground, earning the nickname “The Bridge to Nowhere”.
A topsy-turvy journey refers to a journey that is filled with unexpected and chaotic twists and turns. It is a situation in which things are turned upside down. So was the journey of Jonah to Tarshish. Like the Choluteca bridge, his destination was Tarshish but the journey was terminated on the sea and ended in the belly of the fish.
Describing his desperate condition inside the fish as “belly of hell” Jonah learnt obedience inside the fish by force. He prayed unto God for mercy he had wanted to deny the entire city of Nineveh. God had mercy on him. Perfect obedience to God brings blessings while disobedience incurs God’s displeasure. Obey God implicitly to escape avoidable calamity like Jonah.
Quote
God had mercy on him
Challenge
Don’t be at loggerhead with the Almighty.
Prayer for today
Father, help me never to pursue a wrong venture.