Most of us come upon resistance in our faith journeys at some time or another. We can learn a lot from noticing and paying attention to resistance. What are we afraid of? What might be at the root of the resistance? Am I somehow avoiding God or running from Him? Why?
In spite of all our failings and our trying to ignore or resist God, He NEVER gives up on us. He didn't give up on Jonah either. Even though Jonah blatantly went against what God asked of him. God directed him to go one way (Nineveh), but Jonah went the exact opposite way. It's easy to pass judgment on Jonah's disobedience and get smug about him "getting what he deserved." We tend to do that with other people, don't we? Yet we feel that WE deserve God's grace and mercy.
INVITATION: Journey with us this week as we learn about God's grace and mercy, even when undeserved. We also learn about God's correction.
MONDAY: Jonah 1:1-3: Jonah and his people had a keen awareness of their relationship with God. Error crept in when Jonah began to consider God his exclusive possession. Jonah would rather flee from God than give up his narrow views about who deserved to know and experience God's mercy. Think about those who you might consider impervious to change. Who have you given up on and consider "too far gone?" Are you by chance tempted to steer clear of them? Could you even be trying to ignore God's clear leading to become involved in some way?
TUESDAY: 2 Peter 3:9: God is not willing that ANYONE should perish. During prayer today, ask the Lord to show you one or two people desperately in need of God's gracious intervention. Are you willing to get involved if called to do so?
WEDNESDAY: Romans 5:8: God sent His son while we were sinners. Jonah considered the Assyrians in Nineveh to be the worst of the worst. Sometimes God's truth is offensive to our flesh. We've all attempted at times to go our own way and avoid God. Jonah didn't think the Assyrians deserved God's grace and mercy. For that reason, He didn't want to obey God's instructions to go to Nineveh. It's easy to see ourselves as "good" and others as 'bad" and undeserving. How might you react to people differently if you consider them every bit as loved by God as you are? How can you apply that to your day today and your week this week?
THURSDAY: Jonah 1:4: God sent the storm. God loved Jonah so much that He chased him down. When believers run away from God, they often run INTO God. Has this happened in your life? How do you feel about God sending this storm into Jonah's life? As you look back on your life, could some of your storms have been from God? Can you see them as a gift as you look back?
FRIDAY: JONAH 1:9-17: The sailors thought Jonah and his God were the cause of the great storm so they threw him overboard. The storm was immediately calmed and they feared the Lord and "offered a sacrifice to the Lord." Have you had storms calmed in your life recently? Have you remembered to be thankful and worship the Lord? Scripture talks about a "sacrifice of praise." How can you offer praise to God today? Perhaps even for a storm you experienced?
SATURDAY: Jonah 2:1-10: God disciplined Jonah. We typically are all about OTHERS getting what discipline they deserve, but we don't want discipline for ourselves. These verses indicate Jonah's heart of repentance and surrender. God is a God of second chances. This was true during Jonah's day and it is true still today. Is there a prayer of repentance and surrender you might offer today? Many people find it helpful to begin EACH day in a prayer of surrender. They make it a regular spiritual practice in their lives. Is there a possible invitation from God for you regarding that?
CLOSING OUT JONAH: Jonah 3 & 4 are all about Jonah finally going to Nineveh as the Lord originally commanded. When God saw how the people of Nineveh were repenting, he had compassion on them and showed grace and mercy. Yet Jonah got angry at the Lord's compassion. He became mad at God and was pouting. God's sweeping, inclusive love extends to ALL. God's ways are not Jonah's ways and they aren't our ways.
What can we discover in our own hearts from this Old Testament book? Bring to mind someone or some group of people whom you resent or hold in low regard. Paraphrase Jonah 4:11, including information about "those people" so that in prayer you can express concern for them by using God's own words. How might you continue to pray for the people or the groups you have trouble extending compassion toward?