Getting It Right The Second Time
Jonah 3:2 says, “Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”
This is the second time that the Lord commanded Jonah to “arise, go unto Nineveh.” The first time (Jon 1:2a), Jonah tried “to flee unto Tarshish” (Jon 1:3). He finally obeyed after spending “three days and three nights in the whale's belly” (Mt 12:40). When God wants us to do something and we refuse, He will continue to convict our hearts until we repent and get right with Him (Rev 2:5). He wants us to change so we can obey His command. God never changes (Mal 3:6), He always sticks to His plans! This is how He worked upon Jonah’s life.
Jonah’s arrogance and lack of compassion for the people of Nineveh fueled his reluctance to go because he knew about the wickedness of that “great city” (Jon 1:2b). But the Lord also knew that Jonah had to change before Nineveh can change. Jonah had to deal with his own disobedience before he could expect Nineveh to deal with theirs. After Jonah cried out eight simple words (v. 4), “the people of Nineveh believed God” (v. 5)! As bible-believing Christians, “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20), and we are also called “a peculiar people” (1 Pet 2:9).
We may be similar to others physically and culturally where we are raised. But after trusting Jesus as our Lord and Saviour by faith (Eph 2:8), He miraculously changed us and “all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17). We are vastly different on a spiritual level, because we are daily convicted to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:16). If we want to help others change, especially our loved ones, then they must first see the powerful changes that God has done in our lives (Eph 2:10). And when we humbly obey Him (2 Chr 7:14), then we can become His witnesses to impact our families, our churches, and our nation (Ps 33:12). But if we don’t change, God might just bring us back around to our Nineveh until we get it right the second time! God bless you!
- Pastor Melito Barrera
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