Everything is used

“Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.”Jonah‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jonah rebelled against God and ran. God provided a lesson in the rebellion. A huge storm arose and swamped the boat on which a Jonah was travelling away from God’s purpose. He knew the cause of the storm was himself and told the captain of the boat, ‘throw me overboard’. He may have thought his end had come, but God had a plan. Jonah was swallowed by a huge whale and he spent three days inside repenting. What a smelly place to sit and contemplate his sin!

Imagine sitting inside and being washed constantly as the whale swallowed plankton, it would have been a wet, disturbing experience. However, Jonah was an irritation to the whale and needed expulsion. After three days he was vomited up on the beach, back where he started. This time he went to Nineveh, the place God wanted him to go. He did not go with a good heart nonetheless. He did as the Lord commanded, he preached a need for repentance. The people repented and Jonah became sulky.What a rebellious, self-righteous man!

Do we represent Jonah? Have we become sulky because God did not act as we would have Him act when He shows mercy and not judgement? Yes! I have a friend who continually flouts laws surrounding what he wants to do. I want God to smack him, however, God graciously removes him from involvement by shutting down loop-holes, without a comeback on my friend. This is exactly what God did for Nineveh. As the people repented He released them from judgement, for a time. They were eventually destroyed for the same sin, but God gave them time.

Sef-righteousness wants judgement on others, not self, of course. It is a stinky sin! Help us find repentance Lord! Amen!