God of second chances
Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read Jonah 3:1-10 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).
As a child, I was an avid reader. One of my favourite books was the story of Jonah and the Whale. The colourful illustrations depicting a cosy whale’s belly, complete with cheery-looking Jonah, left me questioning why Jonah had been so quick to escape this wonderful adventure. I know now, of course, that this was in fact a horrendous fate, one that Jonah suffered because he chose to run away from God’s instruction to travel to the city of Nineveh, the home of his enemies the Ninevites, and to cry out against their wickedness.
In today’s passage, we read what happened once Jonah was back on dry land. There are several things I love about this story, the first is that it reminds us that God is a God of second chances. At the start of Chapter 3 (v.1), we read that, ‘God came to Jonah a second time’; God didn’t give up on Jonah, and this time Jonah committed to the job, journeyed to the city and declared to all that Nineveh would be overthrown in 40 days. Despite Jonah’s initial reticence to speak out, the citizens responded to his message by believing God and turning from their evil ways. Seeing how repentant they were, God changed His mind and did not destroy the city after all. And that’s another thing that resonates with me, the forgiveness of God towards the people. God’s compassion is so evident in this passage, and not only that, but we also learn that it is universal, extending even to enemies. We read of God’s overwhelming love not just for His chosen people but for all people, even those considered wicked.
There is so much that challenges here; firstly, the magnitude of how incredibly loved we are. Just as He forgave the people of Nineveh, God wants a relationship with us; if we turn away from our wrongdoing and say sorry to Him, He welcomes us back with open arms. Finally, let’s consider how much we demonstrate that same kindness to those around us, not just friends and family, but our ‘enemies’ too.