[...when the people of
Nineveh believed God;
they
proclaimed a fast
and all
of them, great and small, put on sackcloth.] (Jonah 3:5)
Instead of simply
relaying to his readers that the Ninevites proclaimed a fast, the author of the
book of Jonah prefaces it with when the people of Nineveh believed God. Apparently
only when the people of Nineveh believed God did they fast. It
was not on their own initiative or a whimsical ideal that Nineveh repented by
fasting, but by the prompting of God.
Undoubtedly the
actions of the people of Nineveh provoke an uncomfortable question. Do we believe
God’s words? OR Do we simply forego His urgings to repentance in
favor of our own “enlightened” ideas?
It’s so easy to make
God out to be Barney the Dinosaur—“I love you, you love me...you don’t have to
change”. We can domesticate God because that “god” is much more palatable and
comfortable. That type of “god” requires nothing of us,. We don’t have to
take that type of “god” seriously. It’s uncomfortable for us (myself
included) to admit that we sometimes turn God into a purple dinosaur because
we’d rather do our own “thing”.
However we must not go
to the other extreme, making God out to be a ferocious tyrant. It’s
precisely because He loves us that He wants us to change and to become the best
version of ourselves. Over and over again Scripture tells us God is a
jealous God (cf. Exodus 20:5). He wants nothing to become an obstacle to
our relationship with Him, NOTHING— sports, food, money, popularity, luxury,
etc. God desires us to love Him above all things. His jealous love is why
He asks us to fast and repent.
Do you believe God’s
words? Do you believe God loves you and wants what’s best for you?
If so, then you must follow the Ninevites’ lead in returning to God with your
whole heart through prayer, fasting, and alms giving.
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