 |
| ©Not Mine. Freely.com |
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”
Jonah 2: 7-9 NKJV
I was reading Jonah, and as we know, (if you don’t check it
out; it’s a short read) Jonah was tossed into a belly of a whale because he was
being disobedient. He was supposed to warn the city of Nineveh of God’s impending judgment.
Jonah didn’t want to do that. He knew that God would take
pity on them if they repented. And they did. And God spared Nineveh.
For his disobedience, Jonah spent three days and three
nights inside a whale. A Whale! But once he saw how low he got, Jonah
remembered the good things of God, and cried out to Him, begging for mercy. He
was freed.
Jonah headed to Nineveh,
and told them of their doom. The city of Nineveh
fasted and prayed. They were spared.
Jonah wasn’t happy, but God does what He wants to do, when
He wants to do it and how He wants to do it. Jonah had another hissy fit, but
God made it plain. He does what He wants, when He wants and how He wants. I
just thought I needed to reiterate that.
As I sat there hearing Jonah’s story being preached a couple
of months ago, I realized that I act like Jonah did. No, I didn’t run from God
and hide like he did but in my own way. I also walked in disobedience when God
asked or required something of me. I would not walk in forgiveness with certain
people.
But it wasn’t that I felt they did not deserve forgiveness.
I felt they either would not change or they would beg forgiveness but would
turn back around doing the same things all over again. Their behavior was like
the city of Nineveh.
But just like Jonah, we come to a point that we need the
forgiveness of God. It’s not about them. I know you have heard that before. And
if you haven’t, well, it’s really not about them.
We need God’s forgiveness. He says that in order to get it,
we must forgive those who have sinned against us. We have to forgive them,
though they will yell and scream and fight again. You must forgive though she’s
going to say the wrong thing again.
God is handling the situation and the perpetrators. And it
might not look it, but they are being handled. And don’t worry about what God
is doing to them. Be grateful that you are walking in obedience and most
importantly, in right standing with God. Forgive them. Pray for them. Bless
them.
Are you holding on to past grudges or hurts? Or maybe guilt? Let it go. You are hurting yourself.
Stay Encouraged and Be Blessed!
