174 - Should I not spare Nineveh ?

The Prophet Jonah

Chareen's Thoughts

•  Today we read the story of Jonah. Nineveh must have been a city with a huge reputation for a prophet to choose to try and run away from God's command to go there.
• Jonah fell into a deep sleep while a storm raged! (Jesus did the same with his disciples)
• The men of the ship asked what they should do and Jonah said to throw him into the sea at which things instantly calmed down.  The Lord had sent a great fish to swallow Jonah. 
• Jonah was in the fish three days and 3 nights. (Jesus was dead for three days and three nights)
• Then Jonah prayed.  It was only after he prayed that the Lord commanded the fish to release him.
• The Lord commanded and Jonah obeyed.  He preached the word of the LORD in the city.
• The whole city mourned and repented and the Lord took pity on them and did not destroy them.
• And he prayed to the Lord and said, I pray You, O Lord, is not this just what I said when I was still in my country? That is why I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and [when sinners turn to You and meet Your conditions] You revoke the [sentence of] evil against them. Jonah 4:2
• Jonah was a little unhappy with the outcome.
• 10 Then said the Lord, You have had pity on the gourd, for which you have not labored nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons not [yet old enough to] know their right hand from their left, and also many cattle [not accountable for sin]? Jonah 4:10-11 I love how the Lord took time to teach Jonah and explain.

Key for me here is knowing that I can come to Him and He will teach me.  He is a God full of compassion and mercy.

Blessings
Chareen