“And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
~ Jonah 4:11
REFLECT
At this point in the story, Jonah is angry with God. God, however, has this epic response to Jonah’s anger. In verse eleven, God tells Jonah that these people who are in Nineveh will be forgiven. Jonah is not excited about this news because he is thinking through a worldly perspective; however, through verse eleven, we see God reminding Jonah that He is a gracious and merciful God to all who will come to Him. No matter what we have done, where we have been, or what we have said, if we come back to God the Father, He will forgive us! The story of Jonah is a great reminder that God is for everyone! Maybe today you find yourself far away from God. Maybe you are living with a sinful habit, addiction, or pattern. If you have been living apart from God, please understand the best thing you can do is come back to Him! He loves you, wants to forgive you, and wants to grow a relationship with you. How do you do this? Do exactly what the Ninevites did: Turn away from your sin and call out to God through prayer and ask for forgiveness. Through the book of Jonah, we are reminded that God is ready and waiting; we just have to reach out.
PRAYER
Dear God, thank you so much for forgiving me of my faults and failures. God, I know through Jesus my sins have been washed away, and today, I believe in that. Today, I turn from my sin and choose you! I love you, Lord. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.