About the Book

Book: The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi The Minor Prophets Author: Karen Westbrook Moderow Genre: Non-fiction, Bible Study Release Date: February 19, 2026

Are you overwhelmed by the evil and suffering around you? In the time of the Minor Prophets, evil seduces and overpowers God’s people. The Bible Companion Book 9 Hosea–Malachi tracks what happens and why. A simple one-chapter-a-day format lets you engage with Scripture without the pressure of schedules, homework, or heavy reading loads. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions connect your story to God’s Word. For personal, group, or homeschool Bible study. As God’s disobedient people race toward destruction, the prophets do all they can to stop them. The sins and problems they address still plague us today. But their visions of a day when God deals with Satan and makes all things new gives us hope. Evil is a reality we cannot escape apart from God’s grace. If we have drifted, the prophets show us the way back. If we are holding to the Lord, they show us how to endure dark times with optimism and purpose.

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About the Author

KAREN WESTBROOK MODEROW is a Bible teacher and author who brings a storyteller’s perspective to Scripture. She holds master’s degrees in theology and creative writing and loves introducing others to Jesus through the stories told in God’s Word.

More from Karen

Throwing Jonah Overboard

Jonah is a minor prophet with a big story. The tale of a runaway prophet who is swallowed by a big fish is the perfect analogy for many of life’s upsetting circumstances like the one my minister friend is experiencing. He had to report his boss for ongoing unethical behavior. The church leaders listened and are now verifying facts, a process that could take weeks. In the meantime, the board asked my friend to stay in his role and submit to his boss with kindness and respect while they decide how to proceed. Because he loves the Lord, the church, and its leaders, he wants to comply. Yet he feels like he’s been thrown overboard. How can he maintain a good attitude while working daily under someone who has hurt him and the ministry so deeply? I immediately thought of Jonah. God commanded him to go Nineveh and warn people of coming judgment. Jonah did not want to go. For good reason. The Ninevites had raped, pillaged, and burned their way through his home territory multiple times. So, instead of obeying, Jonah boards a ship heading the opposite direction. But the Lord sends a violent storm that threatens to sink the ship. When the crew cast lots to see who brought this calamity on them, the lot falls on Jonah. He tells them to throw him overboard and they will be saved. Not wanting to take a life, the sailors delay but ultimately toss him into the sea. We may identify with Jonah if our choices have put others at risk. Or perhaps we’ve felt like the sailors, caught in the consequences of someone else’s action. In my friend’s case, his courageous decision to speak up intensified a storm already brewing. Now he bears the brunt of it. Storms take us to the depths. The discomfort of tense relationships can feel as confining and foul as the belly of a whale. But Jonah’s story gives us a needed perspective. The crisis was never just about the prophet. As the pagan crew wrestled with fear and guilt, God was working in their hearts. After He calmed the sea, they offered sacrifices and made vows to Him. Jonah’s crisis led to their salvation and proved a major theme of Scripture—God is in control. In the book of Jonah, God doesn’t reveal truth through the words of the prophet but through the man’s pitiful example. His life is a mirror. We see his rebellion, his anger, his submission (of sorts), his obedience (of sorts), and see ourselves. The contrast between us and Jesus couldn’t be sharper. The Father sent His Son into enemy territory too, but Jesus didn’t run. He loved us. Died for us. Saved us. And now He calls us—just as he called Jonah—to rescue others. We are God’s messengers and He will reveal Himself through us one way or another. So we should not be surprised to find ourselves in situations where our survival depends on Him. Being thrown overboard does not mean abandonment. It’s the opposite. Whether we jump or are tossed in by others, we fall into the hands of the living God. Jonah 1:17 says, “Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.” That fish—as scary as he must’ve been to Jonah—saved him from drowning. It’s often the same for us. The dark place looming before us can be our deliverance. Jesus used the story of Jonah to describe His death and resurrection: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40). Unlike Christ, Jonah was guilty. Bad choices got him to the point where sacrificing himself was the only way to save his shipmates. To his credit, he went willingly. And at that moment, Jonah became Christ-like—choosing death so others could live. God’s plan always includes others. In the vortex, they too will make choices that affect their character and eternal destiny. But whether we or those in the boat with us act out of honor, necessity, or maliciousness, God remains Lord of the storm. As it rages, God may call us to return to the very ones who hurt us and show them the mercy Christ showed us. We may sit in the belly of the whale for a season engulfed in grief or confusion. Yet even that dark space has its blessings. Jonah used his “time out” to confess his need, express gratitude, and commit to obeying the Lord. We can do the same. One of the many lessons in Jonah is this: God never gives up on us. He will track us to the end of the earth—not only to restores us to Himself but to make us effective messengers. He wants everyone around us to know that Jesus saves, that He is sovereign, and that there is no cause for fear. “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps” (Ps. 135:6). Even if life throws us overboard, we are never abandoned. Never adrift. God is in control and our lives are in His hands.

Interview with the Author

Did you use a functional outline, or was it just chaos that somehow worked?

I don’t use an outline unless I am stuck and need to clarify where I’m going. But neither do I work from chaos. I always have a perspective in my mind before I start and I know every chapter is going to have three components: Their story (what’s happening to the people of that day); God’s story (what is God doing in the background); and Our story (why their story and God’s story matter to us today.) I suppose that is an outline of sorts, but it is informal.

How do you handle moments when inspiration seems hard to find?

Persevere. Keep writing. I keep asking God what He wants my readers to know. I do a heart check. Am I giving in to pride, doubts, fear? When I am discouraged, I remind myself that without God, I can do NOTHING. So, I ask for His help and also ask a few trusted friends to pray.

Is there a particular scene or passage you’re incredibly proud of?

In Zechariah 6, the prophet witnesses a symbolic coronation of the priest, Joshua. In those days, a priest couldn’t be king, so this scene foreshadows Jesus who is both a priest and conquering king. The vision was given to encourage the Israelites of that day to finish rebuilding the temple. They complete it but do so believing the vision means their nation will rise again. When it doesn’t happen, they become disillusioned. When God doesn’t do things on our timetable, we too get discouraged. We can misinterpret the work of God in our lives and not see (or accept) that He has a greater plan—one that will not only restore Israel but all who believe in Him. Sometimes we get so focused on our own lives that we forget we are not the only ones in the story. God will keep His word. He doesn’t neglect the dreams He’s placed in our hearts but folds them into a story that includes many others. I loved writing this chapter because as someone who is waiting for God to fulfil His promises, I’m encouraged to view God’s work in my life today as a step in my spiritual journey, not the destination.

What are you working on next?

I’ve written my family story, Back Roads Home. It’s a three-generational story about my mother’s family. It’s available only as an ebook now. I want to get it published by year end.

Is there a genre or format you haven’t tried yet but would like to?

Yes. Fiction. I was trained as a fiction writer but took a few years out to write The Bible Companion. Next year, I hope to dive into a novel inspired by my father’s mother set in the late 1800’s. Though a child herself, she fights to keep her siblings together when they are abandoned by their father and stepmother.