Forgiving Love

May 21, 2017 Background Scripture: Jonah 3; Nahum 1 – 3 Lesson Passage: Jonah 3 We all need forgiveness. The good, the bad, the kind, the mean, and the evil all need forgiving. For we have all sinned and don’t measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. If we had the option, we could all use some “do overs”. Unfortunately, life does not afford us the opportunity to rewind and delete unwanted scenes and then continue moving forward. Whatever we have said or done is part of our history. We cannot delete it, expunge it, or modify it. The best we can do is to seek and receive forgiveness for misdeeds and misspoken words. We cannot erase pain that has been inflicted or disappointment that has arisen because of our words or actions. If we receive forgiveness for them, then we can learn from past mistakes and move forward. When we learn better, we should do better. It is good to receive another chance. After spending three days and nights inside the great fish, Jonah was given a second chance by God to do His bidding. Jonah was sent to proclaim judgment against the people of Nineveh because they were offending God. The message God gave Jonah to deliver was quite terse. There was no mistaking what God had said concerning Nineveh’s future. In forty days, the entire city of Nineveh would be destroyed. This was a wakeup call to the Ninevites. The message caused the people of Nineveh to fear God’s impending judgment and they all began to fast and pray. Even the king lay aside his royal vesture and put on sackcloth and went into mourning. The king also issued a royal decree that commanded all of Nineveh’s citizens to cease from eating and drinking. They were to stop feeding and watering their animals as well. The decree called for everyone to pray to God in sincerity and to stop whatever actions they might have been taking that would have been considered evil. The purpose of the king’s decree was made clear: perhaps God would change His mind when He sees their sincere repentance and spare their lives. This is exactly what God did. God saw the great repentance that took place throughout Nineveh. This was one of the greatest revivals recorded in the Bible. As a result of the Ninevites’ actions, God forgave them and spared their lives. Jonah’s prophecy provided a very stern warning that God was going to destroy Nineveh based on their spiritual condition. I believe that God is always warning us against the actions that we take or the lifestyles we choose to live. Those warnings are like a traffic sign that warns motorists to turn around because the bridge ahead is out. The motorists have an option. They can turn around and not continue on that route or they can continue to move in the same direction they were headed prior to the warning sign. Those who stop and turn around will be spared but those who continue on will face calamity. God, in His omniscience, always knows when we are traveling on a road towards destruction. Because of His forgiving love, He sends us warnings to turn around to avoid destruction. It is up to us to heed the warning or continue on and face the consequences. Robert C. Hudson April 12, 2017