A JONAH OR A JOHN

A JONAH OR A JOHN

  “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” —Jonah 3:4

             Jonah… he surely was not obedient to God’s call on his life… initially. Then after God brought literal storms in his life Jonah was obedient to God’s desire— he went to Nineveh… reluctantly.   He was obedient, but it was obedience with an attitude. It was not a loving obedience to God, nor was his obedience out of love for the Nineties.   He was being obedient, but not with the right attitude.

            Even with a wrong attitude and a brief message— “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4) —God impacted the whole city of thousands upon thousands of people as they repented in sackcloth and ashes. God used a man with wrong-headed thinking to bring multitudes to repentance! Was Jonah happy about this? No, he was not. How sad is that?

            Here’s a point I would like to make… a point my Lord is speaking to me about.   If God worked through Jonah with his poor attitude, can He not work through you and me who are seeking to love God and people? If God impacted multitudes through Jonah’s brief message can He not work through the Word of God we speak to people to impact people as well?

            Listen, you and I do are not going to be “perfect” in our communications with others as we seek to encourage them to trust Jesus, but God works through imperfect people to draw others to Himself. We just need to be obedient. But let our obedience be out of love for God and love for people and not out of reluctant obedience— “Ok Lord, I will do it because you want me to, but I really don’t want to.” No, may our attitude not be like that, but may it be “Yes Lord, because I love you and I love people I will obey what you say… willingly.” Yes, may that be our attitude. Let us not be a reluctant Jonah… let us be a beloved John (Gospel of John and 1, 2, 3 John, Revelation). May that be so!

Dear Father out of love for You and love for people may I be faithful in sharing what Jesus has done for us and encourage them to trust Him. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEhRucEVzH8