Jonah 3:4 – 5: Sharing God with Surprising Results
Jonah 3:4 – 5 “On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: ‘Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.’ The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jonah must have thought on the eve of that first day. Exhausted after spending several days in the belly of a fish, he had somehow found the energy to drag himself to Nineveh. After all, he might as well get this over with. God wasn’t going to let him off the hook, but Jonah knew, he simply knew those blasted Ninevites would never listen to him.
He was wrong. God had given them forty days, but they repented on the first. The very first day! Obviously, in spite of their sinful lifestyle, they were ready and open to receive God.
Man.
That blows a lot of my excuses right out of the water. So many times, I avoid sharing God’s message with people because I think, “He’ll never listen,” or “She has no desire to change her ways and start living for God.” I guess that’s why God didn’t call me to be the judge. Only He can see straight to men’s hearts.
Nope. I’m not the judge. I’m simply the messenger, sent to share God’s message of love and hope and peace with the world. My job is to be ready and willing to obey God, pointing people to Him without worrying about their response.
The results of that kind of willing obedience may very well surprise me.
Dear Father, I’m sorry for failing to share Your love with people. Forgive me for trying to take over Your job, judging people when You’ve only asked me to share Your love with them. Help me to be willing and ready to point others to You.
Amen
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December 16th, 2009 at 2:20 am
Man! That blows my excuses out of the water, too, Renae. I just all too often forget to factor in “GOD” when I assume someone is impossible.
But with God, all things–and all people–are possible.
Thanks for the reminder.
Merry Christmas,
Jean
December 16th, 2009 at 3:16 am
Merry Christmas to you, too, Jean!