Jonah 3:1-10 (NLT)
Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”
This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.
When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:
“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”
When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
Jonah finally obeyed God and entire city of Nineveh repented and turned towards God! Wow! It’s amazing what God can do through a willing servant!
I hope you can find encouragement here. We’ve discussed throwing your Jonah off of your boat but now we have to move on to sharing God’s message with your Nineveh! That person that we discussed last week… The one that you know God is leading you to share your faith with… This person is your Nineveh!
While you may be afraid of the temporary consequences that may follow you sharing your faith with this person (NEWSFLASH: they may not be comfortable around you anymore and your relationship with this person may change!), they are far outweighed by the eternal consequences (eternity in Heaven or Hell!). With a person’s eternity in Heaven or Hell in the balance, we don’t have time to wait around and hope for the best! God has given us His power! We don’t have to walk into any situation alone! Ask Him to give you the words to say and He will! Trust Him today!
Share with your Nineveh the message that God has laid on your heart!
