THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
The Hardheaded Prophet
By Bobby Davis January 11th, 2026
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
Jonah is one of the best-known Bible characters. I mean, who doesn’t know about the guy who was swallowed by a big fish? However, he makes me uneasy. Perhaps I’m too much like him for comfort.
As God’s prophet, Jonah’s job is to warn the Ninevites of their pending destruction, unless they repent; but he’s not too keen on this. Nineveh is a bloody city, teaming with lies and robbery. Who wants to go there? So he boards a ship to southern Spain—in the opposite direction.
The Lord whips up a wicked storm, and the terrified sailors cry to their gods. They start dumping cargo, and find Jonah down there, asleep. The ship is sinking! There’s no way he can be asleep. Then again, the severely depressed can sleep through anything.
Their prayers aren’t working, they cast lots, and the blame falls on Jonah.
“My fault,” he admits. “The storm stops when you throw me overboard.”
Suicidal? Perhaps. But as his body hits the sea, it becomes instantly calm. The sailors freak out, then believe—and suddenly, Jonah is swallowed!
Imagine his thoughts when he realizes he’s inside a fish. Can you hear Me now, Jonah?
Repenting, the prophet begs God’s forgiveness, but spends three days traveling the ocean—until his submarine develops a bellyache and vomits him onto dry land. Dreadful ending to a very unpleasant trip.
The Lord comes around again with the same assignment. I can relate to this! Jonah preaches his heart out, warning they have 40 days to repent. And they do. By the thousands. The king orders a citywide fast, and in His mercy, God forgives them. But Jonah is exceedingly displeased!
“I knew You’d change Your mind, God! I knew You’d forgive them and spare their lives—and now, look at me. I look like a fool!” Obsessed with fear of what other people think of him, Jonah begs God to take his life!
“Should you be angry?” God asks, but Jonah gives Him the cold shoulder and won’t answer. He won’t go home, either. He’s sticking around to see what happens next.
Pitiful! A prophet who’s just converted a king and his entire city sits on the ground, hoping they all die.
Resentment? Oh yes!
Love for God’s children? None!
Lord, how can we do Your work and still not care at all for Your kids?
God tries again. A vine grows up, shades him for a day, then dies by a worm’s bite. Next day the heat is blistering and God’s wind is a scorcher. On the verge of heatstroke, surely this hardheaded prophet can see God’s hand, but he won’t budge! Yes, I’ve done that, too.
“Do you have a right to be angry about the plant?” God repeats.
“I’m right to be angry—even to death!” Jonah snaps. The Lord’s finally gotten him to speak.
“Jonah, if you pity the vine you didn’t plant; why shouldn’t I pity the 120,000 men in Nineveh who can’t tell their right hand from their left?”
I love Jonah’s answer.
Do you know what he says?
Well, don’t feel badly. Nobody knows, because he says nothing!
Jonah got the point.
I do, too.
Do you?
The Hardheaded Prophet
By Bobby Davis January 11th, 2026
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
Jonah is one of the best-known Bible characters. I mean, who doesn’t know about the guy who was swallowed by a big fish? However, he makes me uneasy. Perhaps I’m too much like him for comfort.
As God’s prophet, Jonah’s job is to warn the Ninevites of their pending destruction, unless they repent; but he’s not too keen on this. Nineveh is a bloody city, teaming with lies and robbery. Who wants to go there? So he boards a ship to southern Spain—in the opposite direction.
The Lord whips up a wicked storm, and the terrified sailors cry to their gods. They start dumping cargo, and find Jonah down there, asleep. The ship is sinking! There’s no way he can be asleep. Then again, the severely depressed can sleep through anything.
Their prayers aren’t working, they cast lots, and the blame falls on Jonah.
“My fault,” he admits. “The storm stops when you throw me overboard.”
Suicidal? Perhaps. But as his body hits the sea, it becomes instantly calm. The sailors freak out, then believe—and suddenly, Jonah is swallowed!
Imagine his thoughts when he realizes he’s inside a fish. Can you hear Me now, Jonah?
Repenting, the prophet begs God’s forgiveness, but spends three days traveling the ocean—until his submarine develops a bellyache and vomits him onto dry land. Dreadful ending to a very unpleasant trip.
The Lord comes around again with the same assignment. I can relate to this! Jonah preaches his heart out, warning they have 40 days to repent. And they do. By the thousands. The king orders a citywide fast, and in His mercy, God forgives them. But Jonah is exceedingly displeased!
“I knew You’d change Your mind, God! I knew You’d forgive them and spare their lives—and now, look at me. I look like a fool!” Obsessed with fear of what other people think of him, Jonah begs God to take his life!
“Should you be angry?” God asks, but Jonah gives Him the cold shoulder and won’t answer. He won’t go home, either. He’s sticking around to see what happens next.
Pitiful! A prophet who’s just converted a king and his entire city sits on the ground, hoping they all die.
Resentment? Oh yes!
Love for God’s children? None!
Lord, how can we do Your work and still not care at all for Your kids?
God tries again. A vine grows up, shades him for a day, then dies by a worm’s bite. Next day the heat is blistering and God’s wind is a scorcher. On the verge of heatstroke, surely this hardheaded prophet can see God’s hand, but he won’t budge! Yes, I’ve done that, too.
“Do you have a right to be angry about the plant?” God repeats.
“I’m right to be angry—even to death!” Jonah snaps. The Lord’s finally gotten him to speak.
“Jonah, if you pity the vine you didn’t plant; why shouldn’t I pity the 120,000 men in Nineveh who can’t tell their right hand from their left?”
I love Jonah’s answer.
Do you know what he says?
Well, don’t feel badly. Nobody knows, because he says nothing!
Jonah got the point.
I do, too.
Do you?
THREE ANGELS BROADCASTING NETWORK DEVOTIONAL
The Hardheaded Prophet
By Bobby Davis January 11th, 2026
“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15
Jonah is one of the best-known Bible characters. I mean, who doesn’t know about the guy who was swallowed by a big fish? However, he makes me uneasy. Perhaps I’m too much like him for comfort.
As God’s prophet, Jonah’s job is to warn the Ninevites of their pending destruction, unless they repent; but he’s not too keen on this. Nineveh is a bloody city, teaming with lies and robbery. Who wants to go there? So he boards a ship to southern Spain—in the opposite direction.
The Lord whips up a wicked storm, and the terrified sailors cry to their gods. They start dumping cargo, and find Jonah down there, asleep. The ship is sinking! There’s no way he can be asleep. Then again, the severely depressed can sleep through anything.
Their prayers aren’t working, they cast lots, and the blame falls on Jonah.
“My fault,” he admits. “The storm stops when you throw me overboard.”
Suicidal? Perhaps. But as his body hits the sea, it becomes instantly calm. The sailors freak out, then believe—and suddenly, Jonah is swallowed!
Imagine his thoughts when he realizes he’s inside a fish. Can you hear Me now, Jonah?
Repenting, the prophet begs God’s forgiveness, but spends three days traveling the ocean—until his submarine develops a bellyache and vomits him onto dry land. Dreadful ending to a very unpleasant trip.
The Lord comes around again with the same assignment. I can relate to this! Jonah preaches his heart out, warning they have 40 days to repent. And they do. By the thousands. The king orders a citywide fast, and in His mercy, God forgives them. But Jonah is exceedingly displeased!
“I knew You’d change Your mind, God! I knew You’d forgive them and spare their lives—and now, look at me. I look like a fool!” Obsessed with fear of what other people think of him, Jonah begs God to take his life!
“Should you be angry?” God asks, but Jonah gives Him the cold shoulder and won’t answer. He won’t go home, either. He’s sticking around to see what happens next.
Pitiful! A prophet who’s just converted a king and his entire city sits on the ground, hoping they all die.
Resentment? Oh yes!
Love for God’s children? None!
Lord, how can we do Your work and still not care at all for Your kids?
God tries again. A vine grows up, shades him for a day, then dies by a worm’s bite. Next day the heat is blistering and God’s wind is a scorcher. On the verge of heatstroke, surely this hardheaded prophet can see God’s hand, but he won’t budge! Yes, I’ve done that, too.
“Do you have a right to be angry about the plant?” God repeats.
“I’m right to be angry—even to death!” Jonah snaps. The Lord’s finally gotten him to speak.
“Jonah, if you pity the vine you didn’t plant; why shouldn’t I pity the 120,000 men in Nineveh who can’t tell their right hand from their left?”
I love Jonah’s answer.
Do you know what he says?
Well, don’t feel badly. Nobody knows, because he says nothing!
Jonah got the point.
I do, too.
Do you?
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