Rerouted: 30 Days Through the Book of JonahSample

His Mercy Is More

Lysa TerKeurst

Jonah 3:4-5

At this point in Jonah’s story, he’d been caught in a storm, swallowed by a fish, and spit out on the beach, now facing a long walk to Nineveh (Jonah 3:4). Was he regretful for disobedience (Jonah 1:3)? Relieved to be alive? Regardless, God’s plans continued, and He used Jonah despite his initial rebellion. Jonah 3:4-5 isn’t just about Jonah’s “second chance” — it reveals God’s faithfulness and mercy.

There are at least two key takeaways from this passage:

1. As God's people, we don’t make light of our sin. But we also don’t let the enemy make it heavier. It’s easy to judge Jonah for running from God, but haven’t we all resisted obedience out of pride or fear? The enemy loves to condemn, making us feel our sin is too great for God’s grace. Yet Romans 3:23 reminds us we all need grace, and Hebrews 4:16 calls us to confidently approach God’s throne, where we find mercy. Sin didn’t have the final say in Jonah’s story, and it doesn’t in ours either. We have a Redeemer who restores us to the Father.

The hymn “His Mercy Is More” (based on Romans 5:20) beautifully expresses this truth: “What riches of kindness He lavished on us. His blood was the payment; His life was the cost. We stood neath a debt we could never afford. Our sins they are many; His mercy is more.”

2. Proclaiming God’s Truth leads to repentance. When Jonah obeyed, the people of Nineveh believed, fasted, and wore sackcloth in genuine repentance (Jonah 3:5). The Enduring Word Bible Commentary on Jonah 3 says: “If repentance is anything, it is not business as usual," so "the people of Nineveh took off their normal clothes and put on sackcloth ... Wearing it displayed rejection of earthly comforts and pleasures.”

Jonah’s job was obedience; God’s job was everything else. In His grace, God used Jonah to accomplish His ultimate plan.

Friend, as you drink in God’s fresh grace for you today, would you make yourself available to be used by Him? We just never know what could be on the other side of our “yes” to God. Let’s resolve to always try to do whatever the Lord asks of us. When we do, I believe we’ll see God work miracles through our small acts of obedience.