His Mercy is More (13 December)

Verses for the day

Jonah 2:7-10 As my life was slipping away I remembered the Lord. … I will offer sacrifices to your with songs of praise and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone. Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out on to the beach

Jonah 3:5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow

Jonah 3:10 when God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and he did not carry out the destruction that he had threatened

Psalms 136:1-4 NLT

[1] Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. [4] Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.

Psalms 136:23-24 NLT

[23] He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. [24] He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever

Thoughts

I was meditating on the story of Jonah this morning. It was interesting to see the contrast between Jonah and the people of Nineveh. Jonah rebelled against God. When God told him to do something he intentionally went the other direction. And it appears that he was even arrogant or proud of the fact that he was running from God Jonah 1:10. But only after he found himself at the bottom of the sea in the belly of the fish. Did he repent and turn back to God. While we know from the rest of the story that it was short-lived.

On the other hand, when Jonah gave his message to the people of Nineveh, they genuinely repented. Versus 8 and 9 9. Say that even the animals were forbidden to eat and the animals had to put on garments of mourning. They were so intent on repentance.

Verse 10 says when God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to the either ways he changed his mind and he did not carry out the destruction that he had threatened. God is always ready to forgive when we choose to repent.

For the people of Nineveh it took Jonah coming and proclaiming a message of destruction. When they heard the message they were convicted of their sins and they repented. But the man of God. Jonah, although he was supposed to be God’s prophet, he ran from God. He was arrogant in his disobedience and it took God throwing him in the sea, swallowing him by a fish and him feeling that he was near death before he repented. And even then when he repented it was only to get out of the belly of the fish.

What does it take in my life for God to convict me of sin. According to John chapter 16, this is the work of the holy Spirit and this is why God gave us the holy. But in order for genuine repentance to happened, we need to listen to the spirit.

As I wrapped my time up in God’s word this morning I finished with reading Psalm 136. His faithful love, endures forever. He alone thus mighty miracles. He alone remembers us in our weakness. He alone saves us from our enemy. That enemy being Satan the world system and or our flesh. His faithful love, pursues us. His faithful love convicts us. And his faithful love calls for repentance and calls for us to surrender to him.

Prayer

Gracious heavenly Father. Thank you for your unending faithful love. Thank you for giving us your spirit to convict us of sin. Thank you for pursuing us for not leaving us in our sin. Thank you for the extent that you will go to pursue. Whatever extent you know is needed. For Jonah, I was throwing him into the depths of the sea to be swallowed by a fish. For the people of Nineveh, it took the faithful word of an unfaithful prophet. They are hard to be sensitive to the faithful word of your holy Spirit. May we be quick to repent so that you can lavish your love and mercy on.

As the words to the song say

His Mercy is more, stronger than darkness new every morning . Though our sins are many, your mercy is more . Praise the Lord, your mercy is more . It’s stronger than darkness. It’s new every morning. Our sins there are many but your mercy is more .