Don’t Run Away Like Jonah

“I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people.” Jonah 4:2b (NLT) The story of Jonah tells of God’s judgement, and of His mercy. Nineveh was a very violent and wicked place. God is holy and can’t stand sin, so He planned to destroy it. He commanded Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them, and to preach repentance. But Jonah had no love for those people. He knew about God’s forgiving heart, so he went in the opposite direction! You likely know the rest of the story. God sent a storm that threatened the lives of those onboard the boat. Jonah told the crew that the only way to stop the storm was to throw him overboard. They did, and the storm instantly subsided. God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah— not to kill him, but to save him and give him another opportunity to obey. After three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, Jonah was vomited out on the shore, and went immediately to Nineveh. Jonah preached, and the whole city repented! I know a bit how Jonah felt. I have worked as a commercial fisherman, and I know the smell of fish. I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to breathe while inside one! Like Jonah, God has sent me to communities where evil seems to rule—places that are plagued with violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and other evils. Sometimes we want to stay far away from those places, even if those are our home communities. Let’s not run from God’s plan, like Jonah. As Christ followers, we have experienced God’s forgiveness for our own sins. We need to warn people about the consequences of sin and share about God’s mercy through Jesus—even with people who have treated us badly, and who are hard to love. – Gilbert Bekkatla   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org