ESOCS Devotional 18 August 2024 – Repent and Be Saved
MEMORY VERSE: “God saw what they did; he saw that they had given up their wicked behaviours. So he changed his mind and did not punish them as he said he would.” Jonah 3:10 GNV.
TEXT: JONAH 3:1-10
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. 6 Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. 7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying,
Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
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In our text today, we read of the message of Jonah to the great people of Nineveh. God was to punish them for their wicked behaviours and their actions. Jonah went round Nineveh for three days and declared that “in forty days Nineveh would be destroyed” (Jonah 3:1-4, 8). It was a concluded matter. They were to be punished for their many sins. Who could change the verdict?
Nothing but repentance can change the verdict of eternal damnation for sinners. God does not despise a repentant and remorseful sinner (Psalm 51:16, 17). Before repentance, one must believe the message. In verse 5 of our text, it is written that “the people of Nineveh believed God’s message.” The message exposed their wickedness and evil actions. Those who believe God’s message get the reward of being justified by God and consequently escape impending calamity.
After believing the message, you have to confess what you did or did not do. This is followed by confession of Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour (Romans 10:9, 10). In doing this, the people of Nineveh and their king, in accordance with ancient tradition, came together in public worship, took of their robes, put on sack cloth, and sat down in ashes. They also fasted and begged God for mercy (Jonah 3:5-8).
For us today, the prompt invitation of Christ into one’s life should come after a prayer for God’s mercy. It will come to naught if you ask for mercy without declaring Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. This is an expression of faith in the saving Grace of God through Jesus Christ.
The people of Nineveh expressed belief in God’s ability to reverse His judgment of guilt and spare them. In verse 9 of our text, they said, “perhaps God will change his mind: perhaps he will stop being angry, and we will not die.”
Yes, they got it right. You can also get it right by doing a search of your life and taking the step of repentance. The Bible says, “God change his mind and did not punish them as he said he would.”
- Do you find a reason to repent today?
- Father, open my eyes to see the faults that I have. Give me a repentant heart, in Jesus name. Amen.
Further Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Mark 10:17-31; Acts 11:1-18
ESOCS Devotional 18 August 2024
