Dive Deeper Into the Book of JonahSample

When Jonah proclaimed God’s judgment on Nineveh, the people believed him. Their eyes were opened and they became aware of the corruption in their hearts. When the king heard Jonah’s prophecy he too repented from his sins. He humbled himself by taking off his royal robes and putting on sackcloth. He declared a fast for all the residents of Nineveh, ordering them to cry out to God for mercy.

There was a great spiritual revival in Nineveh. The Ninevites’ genuine posture of humility and repentance moved the heart of God, who withdrew His judgment and did not destroy the great city.

God is magnanimous and generous with His love. He welcomes even the vilest sinner with open arms, not wanting anyone to perish. The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is freely available to all who confess their sins and believe Jesus is Lord.

Our salvation does not stop us from sinning. We can never be perfect Christians, but the Holy Spirit convicts us when we think or act in a way that displeases God. We can be sure that God forgives us and does not count our sins against us when we repent. 

Let’s adopt a lifestyle of humility and repentance so that we can draw nearer to God and appreciate His endless grace and mercy toward us.

Reflection

Do you feel the Holy Spirit nudging you to repent from a particular sin in your life? How will you respond?

Who in your life needs to hear about God’s grace and mercy? How will you reach out to them? 

Action

Think about a time in your life when you repented from sin. How did it feel to be forgiven by God?