Living in God's Love: Daily Devotions for the Heart

THURSDAY, 27 JUNE 2024

 

TEXT: Jonah 3:1-10

 

1. Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying,

 

2. “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.”

 

3. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.

 

4. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

 

5. So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.

 

6. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes.

 

7. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water.

 

8. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.

 

9. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?

 

10. Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring them, and He did not do it.

 

(New King James Version Holy Bible)

 

TOPIC: GOD'S WILL MUST BE DONE

 

 Finally, Jonah obeyed God.

 

It is interesting to see the zeal with which Jonah moved from one end of the town to the other.

 

This was a large city that would ordinarily take three whole days to cover on foot.

 

That should be expected considering his encounter with God at sea and in the belly of the fish.

 

The Ninevites surprised Jonah by their swift and total repentance as contained in verses 5 - 6.

 

The king followed his own repentance with a royal edict which contained a most extraordinary demand (see verses 7 - 8).

 

This is a great challenge to us in this generation of cosmetic repentance that is very common among many church members and leaders.

 

QUESTION: Does your life demonstrate your claim to repentance?

 

PRAYER: I ask You, dear Lord for strength and grace to live according to the confessions of my mouth, in Jesus name. Amen.

Remain Blessed      

ECWA Food For The Day, 2024.