Devotion based on Week 4 of “The Prophets” – Jonah (WATCH HERE)
Jonah 1:-2 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
There are very few occupations that run into danger instead of away from it. For all the men and women of our armed forces, police force, firemen and paramedics, we salute you. The normal reaction to danger is to move away from it. The normal reaction to places of crime and nefarious activity is to avoid it. We are evil averse. We don’t want to be affected by it or in the middle of it (or at least I don’t.)
So God’s direction to Jonah says a lot about our God.
Where wickedness abounds, he wants his word to be proclaimed.
The LORD wasn’t ready to abandon the wicked city of Nineveh, but give them an opportunity to turn from their wickedness. We might have given up on them and written them off as “no hope,” but God didn’t.
He wanted his Word to enter the stronghold of wickedness.
So he called Jonah, son of Amittai to do it.
How would you respond to this assignment? Would you see it as a promotion? A privilege? A burden or wasted effort?
Jonah…how did he respond?
3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
Moving about 2500 miles in the opposite direction, Jonah wanted nothing to do with Nineveh and being the spokesperson for the LORD.
Like receiving a calendar invite from the LORD to go to Nineveh, Jonah quickly clicked “Declined” and created an excuse why he couldn’t do it…he would be 2500 miles away!
I find it easy to look at Jonah and shake my head and say, “Why didn’t you just go?”
What is interesting is Jonah tells us why.
Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity
The problem for Jonah wasn’t fear of personal harm. It wasn’t imposition of time. It was the power of the grace of God. He KNEW God would relent from punishing Nineveh if they repented. He knew the power of the Word. He knew God wanted to change their hearts.
Yet his heart remained without concern or compassion for the people of Nineveh.
The LORD saw Nineveh as a people he loved and desired to turn from their wickedness and live. Jonah…just wanted a Sodom and Gomorrah light show destroying Nineveh.
When God tells you to “Go!”, what leads you to say “No!”?
Sure it can be fear, uncertainty, or different priorities, but sometimes it can be because we selfishly don’t want that person or group to hear about grace, forgiveness and the love of God.
Forgive us LORD!
As we have experienced your grace, your love and your forgiveness, let us always be ready to bring that message of repentance and forgiveness to whomever you send us…in our homes, workplaces, school classrooms, or sports field. Let us not run from your call, but run with your call!
Apply: When have you felt the “nudge” of the Lord to share your faith? Have you embraced the opportunity or “fled to Tarshish”? What was going on in your heart that led to your response?
Prayer: Lord, when you say “Go” lead me to take the message of grace and share it with whomever you put in front of me. AMEN!