Remember Jonah?

You probably know the story of Jonah pretty well. Jonah’s the guy who tried to run from God and found himself in the belly of a really big fish. It seems so silly. What was so difficult about what God said to Jonah that would cause him to run in the opposite direction?

Here’s all God said,

“Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.” (Jonah 1:2, Message)

That doesn’t seem so difficult, but let’s look at it in a different light. Put yourself in Jonah’s shoes, and then replace Nineveh with the city you live in. God is saying for you to go to a city you really dislike and preach…to the WHOLE city. That kind of changes things a little doesn’t it?

God loves the whole world

God loves people, therefore God loves the cities, communities, states and countries that people live in. No matter how dark things have become, no matter how much men have rejected God and turned away from him, no matter what…God’s great love remains. And we are the ambassadors of that divine love.

When Jonah finally did what God had called him to do, here’s what we are told happened,

“The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers. When the message reached the king of Nineveh, he got up off his throne, threw down his royal robes, dressed in burlap, and sat down in the dirt.”…God saw what they had done, that they had turned away from their evil lives. He did change his mind about them. What he said he would do to them he didn’t do.” (Jonah 3:5-6,10, Message)

No more excuses

No wonder the battle is so fierce against us being obedient to God’s calling—whole communities are up for grab. And the Enemy knows this very well, so he bombards us with every excuse in the book to not do what God has called us to do.

No matter what, the calling remains! God is still saying, “Up on your feet and go to the city” (at least the one you live in)…and preach the good news!