The people of Nineveh believed God;…
When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way,
he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them;
he did not carry it out. – Jonah 3: 5, 10
Our God is such an incredible God.
Today on Wednesday of the first week of Lent, the Church’s readings remind us of the famous story of Jonah who was instructed by God to go to Nineveh to announce throughout the city that in forty days, the whole city would be destroyed.
At first Jonah was reluctant to do this and ‘ran away’ from God by getting on a boat.
But no one can really run away from God.
As the psalmist says in psalm 139: 7 – 10
where can I flee from Your presence.
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
In the same way, God’s presence was with Jonah.
And in His merciful love, He sent a storm that caused everyone on the boat to fear for their lives.
Jonah recognised that it was God’s action, and requested to be thrown overboard.
When this happened, God sent a whale to swallow him and he remained in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. Whilst in the belly of the whale Jonah repented, crying out to God with psalms, and God heard and commanded the whale to vomit Jonah upon dry land.
How amazing is our God.
Even so, when the people of Nineveh repented from their sins, the Lord heard and relented from allowing them perish for their wicked ways.
Today as we meditate upon the sign of Jonah, Jesus brings it up in the Gospel because a lot of people in his generation refused to listen and obey his call to repentance.
In this season of Lent, the Church throughout the world is called again by God to repent and renew our lives in Him.
We would all do well to answer this call, as the people of Nineveh did in solidarity, but great and small.
So today, we ask for grace from You Lord Jesus, to obey Your call.
We ask for grace to repent, with true sorrow for our sins, and with a firm resolution to sin no more.
Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and with power as we continue our 40 days Lenten journey with You.
That each day, we may be filled with great grace and encounter Your Love in an even more special way.
Amen.
Always and Forever,
To The Lamb.
With all my love.
21-02-2018