Jonah: Episode Three
Jonah departed from the land of ‘I surrender all’ entering a new land: the land of ‘second chances’. I think we can all relate because we’ve all surrendered to temptation, got caught in sinful choices, and called out to God for help. It’s only by His grace we repent, receive forgiveness, and begin to move on. If you wonder whether God can use you again in His Kingdom to help people, Jonah’s story is a reminder; He can and He will. He’s a God of second chances.
The clock was ticking as a 40-day timeline was added to Jonah’s prophecy of destruction: Ninevah was going down. The Hebrew word ‘overthrown’ means a turn, overturn, shift, or transformation indicating that a change is coming which often means a government coup or takeover. Fear of this insurgence undoubtedly filled everyone’s heart and mind; what should they do?
This word overthrown is used when Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown by angels and Egypt was taken over by plagues; what would Ninevah’s takeover look like? In a surprising turn of events this overturning wasn’t political; it was spiritual. God moved on the hearts and minds of the people and they turned to Him believing He had the power to overthrow but also to change His mind. This nationwide repentance caught the attention of the king and he joined in this time of repentance with fasting and prayer as God not only watched but, indeed, changed His mind. He would not to overthrow the city in the lower story but to bring an overthrow to their hearts: a transformation, in the upper story.
In the early days of our nation (1700’s) Puritan ministers traveled from colony to colony praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and our nation experienced the Great Awakening as bars were cleared out, people got saved, and a holy atmosphere covered the eastern coast. People repented, Psalms were sung in the streets, and unity arrived before the Revolutionary War for our independence. The stage was set for our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights; all because of designated times of fasting and prayer.
Over the years many presidents have called Americans to serious times of repentance and prayer: Washington, Adams, Madison, Tyler, Lincoln, Wilson, and later Truman, Kennedy, Reagan, and GW Bush all called for National Days of Prayer. Did they know the story of Jonah? Did they realize that the all-powerful God would respond to our humility but close His ears to our pride?
Our God of second chances isn’t finished with America yet, an overthrow is coming but it’s not by terrorists or a government coup, it’s a spiritual revival with the transformation of many hearts turning back to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in repentance and humility. It’s time to step up our personal and corporate prayer for our nation crying out to God for revival once an again. Let Jonah’s story encourage you; if He did it once, He’ll do it again.
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