Thoughts from Jonah/Part 6

As Jonah 3 unfolds, we are told that God spoke to Jonah "a second time". We should be reminded that we are not owed a second chance; that's the remarkable thing about God's grace and mercy! At this point, Jonah is obedient, at least outwardly, to the call and instruction of the Lord. God is determined to place the message of repentance before the Ninevites. And He is equally determined to use Jonah in this process. Jonah went into the city preaching to the people of Nineveh, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" We are told that upon hearing the message, the Ninevites believed God. The message, coming from the mouth of Jonah, was accepted as having its origin with God. A revival came to Nineveh, ushered in by a sweeping wave of repentance. All the people turned to the Lord, "from the greatest of them to the least of them." From this we see the marriage of divine intervention and human responsibility. According to Jesus in John 6:44, God draws people to Himself. Yet He has ordained the means by which this occurs. This is best illustrated by Luke in Acts 16:14: "One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul." We, like Paul, have been given the responsibility to preach the gospel; as Christians, we cannot ignore this calling. Yet we cannot in human arrogance think for a moment that we can bring about the supernatural by way of our words and deeds. As God opened Lydia's heart, He opened the hearts of the multitude in Nineveh. Yes, we preach with passion! Yes, we labor for the cause of the gospel with tears and pleading. But the glory of success belongs to the Lord! Jonah was the means, but God was the cause. And ultimately, God reigns over both.