Just Not For Us - Jonah 3

God’s love and grace is for everyone.  Jonah pitched a fit about going to Nineveh because he couldn’t stand the people.  Jonah kept going to the bottom instead of the top. The grace that God shows Johan isn’t just for him but for all the people who were following God. Like Jonah, we all have our ups and downs. All along, God is trying to tell us to “go up.”

This series is taking us on journey into the world of the prophet Jonah. Most of us haven’t given the story of Jonah and the great fish a second thought. Afterall, what can we possibly learn from the story about a man getting swallowed by a fish? Throughout this series we will see a full picture develop of God’s love, compassion, and realize that no one is beyond redemption. That the gospel is for all who repent and believe. We will learn from this reluctant prophet Jonah and be determined to obey God doing whatever he asks and going wherever he leads.

Jonah learns some extremely valuable lessons about his leadership, his faith, and about God’s activity in the world around him. God was asking Jonah to do something he didn’t want to do. This created great conflict for him. He wasn’t so interested in being a vessel of God’s message to Nineveh, he just wanted to live his life his way.

Remember, God used a “gadol” great fish to get Jonah’s attention.

In Jonah 3, Jonah fulfills his mission. He follows God's calling and brings a message to the people of Nineveh. If we proclaim what we know about God, we may be surprised at how many people will listen and respond.

God’s response to the people of Nineveh was mercy. He canceled all the punishment that he had threatened. God forgave Nineveh, just as he forgave Jonah for his disobedience. God is always ready to show compassion to anyone willing to seek him.

God loves those that we might think are unlovable in our communities, schools, and workplaces.

They may not believe just yet, but God still wants to do a miracle in their lives through us. It may not involve being swallowed by a fish however, it does involve loving others the way he calls us to love them and God’s Holy Spirit drawing them to himself

That’s the miracle!