God often calls us to act, and when we delay, we are not simply waiting—we are disobeying. Like Jonah, we may find ourselves resisting God's direction, only to face the consequences of our hesitation. Yet, God in His mercy continues to prod us with questions, inviting us to examine our hearts and respond to His will. The Holy Spirit gently asks, "What are you doing here?"—reminding us that obedience is not just about grand gestures, but about responding promptly to God's voice in our daily lives. [31:26]
Jonah 3:1-2 (ESV)
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you have been delaying obedience to God’s prompting? What is one step you can take today to respond immediately to His call?
We often dream of doing great things for God someday, but neglect the small, daily acts of faithfulness that He asks of us now. Jonah’s story reminds us that it is better to take a small step of obedience than to wait for the perfect moment to do something big. God values our willingness to love our families, care for our friends, and reach out to those who do not know Him—these small acts matter deeply to Him. Don’t let dreams of future greatness keep you from the simple, faithful steps God is calling you to take today. [43:37]
Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV)
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.
Reflection: What is one small act of obedience you can do today—at home, at work, or in your community—that you have been putting off in favor of bigger plans?
God’s heart is moved when people turn from their evil ways and seek Him in humility. The people of Nineveh responded to Jonah’s warning with fasting, mourning, and genuine repentance, and God showed them compassion. This story reveals that no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy, and that He delights in forgiving those who sincerely turn to Him. Even when judgment seems inevitable, God’s steadfast love is ready to meet the repentant heart with grace and a new beginning. [56:05]
Jonah 3:5-10 (ESV)
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to repent and seek God’s mercy? What would it look like to humble yourself before God today?
God does not require His messengers to be eloquent or impressive—He asks for faithfulness. Jonah’s message was simple, and even his attitude was imperfect, yet God used him to bring about a citywide revival. The power lies not in the messenger, but in the message and the Spirit who works through it. Each believer is called to be an ambassador for Christ, faithfully sharing God’s message of reconciliation, trusting that God will use even our weakness to accomplish His purposes. [01:08:25]
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (ESV)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Reflection: Who is one person in your life who needs to hear about Jesus? How can you faithfully share God’s love with them this week, regardless of your own feelings of inadequacy?
No matter how many times we have failed or needed a second chance, God’s steadfast love and mercy never run out. He welcomes the prodigal, restores the repentant, and provides for every need in Christ. Each new day is a fresh opportunity to hope in Him, to receive His forgiveness, and to walk forward in faith. Let your heart rest in the assurance that God’s faithfulness is greater than your failures, and His mercies are truly new every morning. [01:21:05]
Lamentations 3:22-24 (ESV)
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to receive God’s fresh mercy today? How can you let go of past failures and embrace His faithfulness as you begin anew?
The story of Jonah in chapter 3 is a powerful reminder of God’s relentless pursuit of both the wayward prophet and the lost city. Jonah, after his dramatic rescue from the belly of the fish, receives a renewed call from God—a second chance to obey. This is not something to take for granted; not everyone in Scripture receives a second opportunity, but God’s heart is always open to the prodigal. Jonah’s obedience, though reluctant and imperfect, becomes the vehicle for God’s message to reach Nineveh. It’s striking that this is the only point in the book where Jonah actually obeys, and even then, his attitude is far from ideal. Yet, God uses even half-hearted obedience to accomplish His purposes.
The message Jonah delivers is simple and direct: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” There’s no elaborate campaign, no grand strategy—just a faithful proclamation of God’s word. The response of Nineveh is nothing short of miraculous. From the king to the commoner, even the animals, the city turns in repentance, fasting, and mourning. This shows the depth of God’s mercy: He is willing to relent from judgment when people turn to Him, even those we might consider beyond hope.
God’s love for Nineveh challenges our assumptions about who is “worthy” of grace. Nineveh was a city known for its violence and idolatry, yet it was “a great city to God.” We are reminded that God’s heart beats for the lost, the broken, and even those who seem most hostile to Him. Our role is not to judge who is ripe for the kingdom, but to faithfully deliver the message and trust God with the results.
The story also confronts us with the reality that it is not the brilliance of the messenger, but the faithfulness to God’s word and the power of the Holy Spirit that brings transformation. Even when we feel inadequate or our efforts seem feeble, God can use us to accomplish His purposes. Each of us is called to be an ambassador for Christ, carrying His message to our own “Ninevehs”—the people and places in our lives that seem far from God.
Ultimately, the steadfast love and mercy of the Lord are new every morning. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, and He delights in giving second chances to those who turn to Him in faith and repentance.
Jonah 3 (ESV) — > Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
> ... (Read the full chapter together)
Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) — > The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
``Jonah gets a second chance from God. You realize not all, I know pastors like to say, God is the God of the second chance. He's the God of the second chance. But if you read scripture, that's not always true. That's not always true. But one thing I do know is God always welcomes the prodigal. Doesn't he? The light is always on in the father's house. But when Jonah was in the belly of that great fish, he did not know that. He did not know that he was going to get a second chance. And the really encouraging thing to me is that Jonah's disobedience hasn't canceled God's call. And that's a wonderful truth. [00:39:08] (70 seconds) #GodWelcomesTheProdigal
Here's another important truth here, I think. Small obedience always beats great intentions. Right? Small obedience always beats great intentions. Sometimes we put aside the small things in our lives because we intend to do great things someday. We dream about what we're going to do when we have more time and when we have more money and when we aren't so busy and when the kids are out of school and out of the home or we get a promotion or we're called to a different church or we get a better job, we all have big plans that we dream about. We do. There's nothing wrong with that. What's wrong with that is when we neglect the small things, the day -to -day things, the responsible things that we need to do every day. [00:42:37] (79 seconds) #SmallObedienceMatters
When God changes his mind, basically what he is doing is keeping his promises to sinful man. God's mind is always the same against sin. He hates it. He abhors it. That will never change. And God's mind is that he loves everyone. He's not willing that any should perish, but all should come to the saving faith in Christ. [01:00:08] (42 seconds) #GodKeepsHisPromises
What’s the sign of Jonah that we are to understand and this is it: that God can bring good out of evil, that God can bring righteousness out of sinfulness, that when God comes in judgment if a man repents judgment is set aside and that's what Jonah proved through God's work in Nineveh. [01:03:02] (38 seconds) #GoodFromEvil
What do we understand about this? That the messenger isn't that significant. The messenger doesn't have to be brilliant but the messenger has to be faithful. [01:05:01] (22 seconds) #FaithfulMessenger
That's what the messenger is to do. Right? It's not about me. It's not about you. Right? I look at 2 Corinthians 5, 20, and 21. This is for you and me, for all believers. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God for our sake. He made him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And there you go, folks. That's our message. And it has to point to Jesus. We're his ambassadors. We tell people what he wants us to tell them. [01:08:56] (71 seconds) #PrayForYourNineveh
Can you think of individuals in your life who seem to have gone too far, who live in ungodliness, but you rub shoulders with them? That's your Nineveh. Do you realize that? Do you pray for them? Do you take the message to them? Do you show them acts of selfless love that might soften their hearts to listen to the message that you want to share about Jesus Christ? [01:11:04] (48 seconds) #GodsMessageNotMine
You see, it wasn't Jonah's message to be proclaimed. It was God's message. And every preacher, every evangelist, every missionary, every musician, every believer who delivers the message of God must remember it is God's message. It is his message to proclaim, not mine, not yours. [01:13:19] (36 seconds)
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