Do you believe in God, do you trust Him to keep His word and to give you direction for others’ good?
Jonah was called by God to go to a terrible enemy, Nineveh, Assyria. They were cruel and did malicious things to people. Jonah hated his enemies. He did not go to Nineveh, he boarded a ship going in the opposite direction.
Did Jonah get away with that? No, he did not. God sent a storm which lasted some days. The sailors pleaded with Jonah what should they do? Throw me overboard, the God of creation who made these huge waves and dreadful wind, is the One I am running from. The sailors asked this God to forgive them and threw Jonah overboard.
What happened to the sailors? When Jonah hit the water, the storm went away. The waves became “normal” and the wind died down. Those sailors feared the LORD God who created all things. When they got to land they worshiped this God. The LORD was prepared to spare Jonah’s life, a BIG fish was there to swallow him whole. Jonah 1:1-17
He was in that fish for three days and three nights. He finally prayed to the creator God. Jonah knew God heard him even from the stomach of a great, huge fish.
Now back to Jonah and his prayer, he ended his prayer with “But I sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving. That which I vowed I will pay. Salvation is from the LORD.” Jonah 2:1-10
Jonah knew only God could save him. The LORD did just that! The huge fish vomited up Jonah onto dry ground. God again told Jonah to go to Nineveh. God did not change Jonah’s destination. Jonah walked to Nineveh, a great city. Jonah warned Nineveh that God would overthrow them in 40 days. How did those people react? They believed in God, even the king proclaimed a fast from food and water and the people and the animals were to wear sackcloth. The king believed that God would turn, relent and withdraw His burning anger so the people of Nineveh would not die.
That is what did happen. God relented when the people of Nineveh repented and turned from their wicked ways. They believed in God! Jonah 3:1-10
God’s Word ~ Alive!
Matthew 21:22
“And all things you ask in prayer,
believing you will receive.”
When you ask God in prayer for anything,
do you believe you will receive
His best?