When we’re afraid of what lies ahead, we can call out to God.
A few weeks ago, my pastor gave a sermon on Jonah. It’s a fascinating story for reasons much deeper than Jonah being swallowed up by a giant fish. It’s a super short book, only four chapters long, but full of lessons for those who want to seek them.
My pastor pointed out that when Jonah finally decide to obey God’s call, he basically walked, (or I kind of picture him stomping,) through the streets of Nineveh, saying you’re all going to die in forty days. It was by no means an eloquent sermon. Jonah didn’t want it to be. He was kind of hopeful that Nineveh would be destroyed.
But, God used it anyway. Isn’t it amazing how he can do that? When Jonah told the Ninevites, they were going to die and gave them a timeline, they changed their ways and turned to God.
Does this story in any way sound familiar to the modern reader? What happens when we receive a bad medical diagnosis, or when we lose our job, or when a marriage falls apart? What about when we have been attacked in some way?
Someone once said, “Their are no atheists in foxholes.” While I’ve never been in physical combat, I can attest that when life’s battles come at me, I find myself in prayer.
When we come face to face with the frailty of our human existence, we find ourselves turning to God.
Last week, after the school shooting in Florida, someone wrote in a bathroom at my son’s high school that they were going to blow up or shoot up the school. I don’t know what the exact words were and quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. I knew it was most likely a prank, but still, I prayed.
The thought of those parents mourning their lost children, filled my mind.
I contacted some of my strongest prayer warriors and asked them to pray for the safety of my son and his school and I felt some peace. When he walked through the door after school, I hugged him extra tightly, so very thankful for his safety and for the warriors who prayed on his behalf.
When faced with things like school violence, I have come to understand that the war is probably more spiritual than physical. Like those soldiers in foxholes, or even the Ninevites, we are terrified of what we see coming and we call out to God.
Maybe now more than ever, we should do just that. The king of Nineveh once said, “Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” Jonah 3:8-9
That’s exactly what God did. Nineveh was spared. Jonah’s story reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂