“Jonah, however, set out in the opposite direction in order to get away from the LORD. He went to Joppa, where he found a ship about to go to Spain. He paid his fare and went aboard with the crew to sail to Spain, where he would be away from the LORD.” (Jonah 1:3)
Jonah was one of the early prophets. God spoke to him and ordered him to go to Nineveh and warn the people that He was not going to put up with their sin anymore. He was going to destroy Nineveh. But Jonah didn’t want to warn them. They were horrible sinners. He felt God should punish them. He knew how merciful God is. He didn’t want them repenting. So, he disobeys and runs away.
There are people today that need to hear that God’s wrath is coming. But God’s wrath is not coming because of their sin. Jesus took care of the sin issue. His sacrifice was for all men. God’s wrath will be on everyone who refuses to accept the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s mercy and gift of salvation. His wrath is coming for His enemies. “I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world.” (Philippians 3:18-19)
When Jonah finally obeyed God, the city of Nineveh repented, hoping that God would change His mind. The king of Nineveh ordered everyone to pray and give up their evil ways. God saw that they had given up their evil ways and did change His mind.
Jonah was upset because they repented and because God showed mercy toward them. Are you a Jonah? Do you have the gift of salvation and refuse to share it with others? There may be several reasons for this. Jonah’s reason was distinct. His reason was snobbish. He reasoned that the people of Nineveh were so evil, they didn’t deserve God’s mercy. We may not feel like Jonah, but the result is the same; we don’t share the Gospel. Or maybe we refuse because we feel we don’t know enough of the Bible. But you don’t have to. God has manifested His life and light in your life. Share your testimony. John in writing the vision God gave him about the last days, wrote about the believers in heaven: “They won the victory over him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by the Truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.” (Revelation 12:11)
There is an easy way to share God’s grace for mankind. Whatever the conversation is, you can always begin with, “Before Jesus came into my life, I was (fill in the blank.)” This is an important beginning because when Jesus came into our lives, there was a change. There’s a change because we are not the same person. “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.” (2Corinthians 5:17) We cannot be the same, because we are not the same.
But don’t leave your listener hanging, tell them what Jesus did for you. “But Jesus (tell what Jesus did.)” Then share how it changed your life. “And now I have (fill in the blank.)
Jonah tried to escape God, but God was everywhere he went. And although Jonah went through many perils trying to escape, God was wherever he went. He couldn’t escape God. And neither will we. God’s Will and Purposes will be done.
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