Jonah 3:1-2 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
Yesterday I wrote a reflection on Luke 22:24-25, where after Jesus tells the disciples that He is going to suffer, that He will not eat and drink again until the Kingdom of God comes, they get into an argument with each other about which of them is greatest. At the time, I was grouching about writing a reflection when I was exhausted and done with humanity.
Jonah 3:3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it.
Here, Jonah runs from God’s direction, endangers a ship full of sailors, spends time in the belly of a whale, and finally decides to listen to God’s call. My point? People have a lot of baggage—myself included—but if we will allow, Jesus can and will use us, even in our mess. But we have to show up.
Jonah 3:4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”
Lord, Thank You for Your mercy and compassion. Thank You for giving Jonah a second chance to go to Nineveh to preach Your word. Thank You for giving the disciples a chance to carry on Your ministry, even after their ridiculous squabble. Thank You for a speaking to my heart again and again and again, for allowing me to reflect on Your word, even when I balk and grump. Help me to love others with the same amazing, fierce, compassionate love with which You love me. Amen.
Jonah 3:5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
Have a blessed day. I love you.