John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
I read a story about a new young partner in a law firm. The senior partners had set extremely high standards and had coached him carefully. He did well in some minor trials but lost his first big case. When the partners reviewed the trial, they pointed out his errors and suggested different strategies. Even with all their critique, he lost the next big one. He felt terrible. Were they ready to give him the boot?
Amidst his uncertainty, one compassionate partner pulled him aside. With a reassuring tone, the partner said, “You’re learning from each experience. Keep pushing forward; victories will come. Your position here is solid. You’re one of us.” These words provided the encouragement he desperately needed at that moment.
As believers, we often need to encounter moments of divine reassurance, especially when we struggle. This story reflects the compassionate reassurance we sometimes need. God, in His infinite wisdom and kindness, gently reminds us, “Yes, you have made mistakes, but do not fear—your place in My kingdom is secure.”
God’s assurance of our security is a gift that sustains us daily. We must embrace this truth, allowing it to bring peace to our hearts.
When we truly grasp the depth of God’s security, we are empowered to extend similar compassion and reassurance to our brothers and sisters in faith.
Max Lucado encapsulates this beautifully: “Our task is to stand tall in God’s love, secure in our place, sparkling in kindness, surrounded by His goodness, freely giving to all who come our way.” This is a call to not only receive God’s love but also actively live it out by extending grace and kindness to those around us.
Everyone needs affirmation now and then—this is your reminder that your relationship with God is unshakable and secure despite your imperfections.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
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A “second time.” Jonah’s repentance gave him a second chance to obey the Lord and to fulfill his ministry. And he did it successfully. The apostle Paul tells us that “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” [Romans 11:29]. Jonah’s disobedience did not take away his calling as a prophet. The discipline of the Lord was fruitful in his life. But compare King Saul. He also got a second chance after failing to wait for Samuel [1 Samuel 13] and he disobeyed again, and lost his kingship [1 Samuel 15]. But even that took many years to transpire after David was anointed.
Jonah now acknowledges that God put him where he is, and he accepts His discipline. “Sheol” is the “grave”, the “pit” or the “abode of the dead”. Did Jonah die, or was he only nearly dead from three days of fish stomach acid, and little or no air? The text doesn’t say; only that if he didn’t actually leave his body, he came as close as a man can get to it; three days worth. In this nebulous and miserable place Jonah cried out, probably from the deepest depths of his agonized soul…he cried out to the Lord.
While most read the story of Jonah focusing on Jonah’s journey, I want to pause and examine the lives of the pagan sailors. What a journey they were on! We see the hand of God touching them providentially through Jonah’s disobedience. Talk about God bringing good from evil.
So the captain came to Jonah, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” At this point the captain (who probably worshiped Baal and Yamm, god of the sea) has more faith than Jonah.
It must have been a bad storm. These men were experienced, hardened sailors who had seen it all at sea. If they were scared, this could have been the first “perfect storm” since Noah’s flood. So they started the first interfaith prayer meeting in the Bible, each man crying out to his own god. As the ship groaned and creaked in howling wind and massive waves, and the men threw cargo overboard in a desperate attempt to save it, where was Jonah? On deck helping them? Confidently praying to His own God? Shaking with fear and paralyzed with deep conviction? No, he’s taking a nap down below…
Back in the third century Cyprian the Bishop of Carthage wrote to his friend Donatus: “It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered, in the midst of it, a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret.
For the next week or so we’ll be looking closely at the life of Jonah the prophet. Jonah was told to “preach against the city of Nineveh”, that was in the ancient kingdom of Assyria. Nineveh was a major city on the banks of the Tigris River about 500 miles north and east of where Jonah was; located on a contemporary map in modern Iraq, about 300 miles north of Baghdad. Archaeologists have found the ruins of ancient Nineveh right outside the Iraqi city of Mosul. Yes, the same Mosul that was taken last week by jihadists!