Jonah 3:10
When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah had refused to go to preach in Nineveh. Later on, through various circumstances, God guided Jonah to duty. God guides us in many ways, one of them is through circumstances. Through a storm in the sea and a fish that swallowed him, Jonah was guided to duty. God may not speak or demonstrate a huge sign, but through circumstances, He can guide you to where He wants you to be.
Jonah arrives in Nineveh against his wish but now he has surrendered to God’s will. Jonah preaches to the people of Nineveh without caring whether they get converted or not. The people of Nineveh respond positively to Jonah’s message. The people of Nineveh and their king confess and repent their sins. The people of Nineveh declare a fast begging God to forgive them. Everyone and every animal is ordered by the king to fast.
The situation was so serious in Nineveh because the God of Israel had promised to punish their sins in forty days. They had heard the reputation of this Israelite God who is loving but mercilessly ruthless against sin, sinners, and those who oppose Him. They feared to face the wrath of God and they chose a path of repentance. The wrath of God is coming upon the whole world including us, will we repent and change our ways like the people of Nineveh?
The people of Nineveh were weeping and mourning as they begged God to forgive them. They are dressed in sackcloth which is a cloth symbolizing sorrow against sin. Sackcloth had that meaning at that time. We are to express the same sorrow for sin in our time in a manner consistent with our times and locality. Putting on sackcloth was a practice of the Bible times that doesn’t have to be carried forward. Wearing sackcloth is not a biblical command to be applied in our times. Expressing sorrow for sins is not limited to wearing of sackcloth. It’s grotesque to dress in sackcloth today with no religious meaning.
Another expression of sorrow that happened in biblical times that doesn’t apply to our times is tearing up clothes. We have no command to tear up clothes yet it was a practice of Bible times. They tore their clothes to express shock and anger, we too can still express the same feelings without tearing our clothes.
Our text today tells us that as Ninevites cried and wept for forgivingness of sin, God was watching and taking note. When God saw how they turned from sin, God changed His mind and did not destroy them. When God saw He changed His mind!
We need to live our lives with a consciousness that we are in the presence of God. God is the audience of our lives. God is watching us. God who watched the people of Nineveh is watching us. What does God see in us and what do we do? When God saw He changed His mind!
God was watching them as they sinned. God decided that because of that sin, He will kill them. When they repented God was still watching. God saw their repentance and decided to save them. When God looks at your life today, will He save you or destroy you? How will God respond to what He sees in your life? Will He change His mind and save you or He will destroy you? When God saw He changed His mind!
When God sees your day-to-day life what does He see? When God sees your relationships will He kill you or forgive you? When God sees your marriage will He kill you or save you? When God sees what you call a spiritual life will you survive? God watches and decides to treat us according to what He sees. He doesn’t expect us to be good on our own because we can’t. God expects us to repent like the people of Nineveh and ask for His help, is that what He sees in us? When God saw He changed His mind!
Help us, dear God, help us so that what You see in us will please You. Save us from what hurts and disappoints You. Change Your mind and save us, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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May God help us,
Amen
Amen!
Thank you my creator may you see a changed heart in me towards sin so that a cording to your will you change ua mind on the whole of my life.
Glory to God!
Amen
Amen!
Amen.
Amen!
Indeed our God is ready to forgive all our trespasses.
We are called to do a true repentance and we will overcome.
Hallelujah!
Amen
Amen!
Very important questions. When He sees us, will He change his mind? When He sees me, will He change His mind? This is an individual question that calls for introspection. Let me self-search and I pray that God saves me from destruction.
Amen!
I pray that when God sees me to hear my cry and repentance and change His mind and safe me. Amen
Amen!
Amen…
Amen!