God’s patience and mercy
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
“And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time…” – Jonah 3:1.
God is patient, merciful and longsuffering toward us. The above verse proves how forgiving God is.
Jonah completely blew it the first time. God instructed the prophet to go to Nineveh to proclaim judgment to come.
Jonah went the opposite away. He fled from the presence of God.
We all know the story. But God’s grace didn’t give up on Jonah after the prophet’s disobedience.
Did it cost Job hard trials and learning experiences? Yes. Did it provide an amazing Biblical account for children and adults alike throughout history? Yes, it has.
It even provided uncontrollable laughter when I pastored a church in Texas and preached on Jonah. My wife was pregnant with twins at the time. I somehow made a slip to the effect of “whale of a belly.”
Service ended at that point.
But the “word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time.” God wasn’t through with Jonah – even after the prophet fled from God.
God knew what it would take to get Jonah’s attention and then provide another opportunity for the prophet to do what he should have initially done.
The word “longsuffering” means “patiently bearing continual wrongs or troubles.”
God understands human beings need patience. He is very patient with us.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” – II Peter 3:9.
We should take lessons from God in this area. Perhaps we give up on people way too early. Or we are not patient enough with them.
It’s a good thing God’s patience doesn’t wear too thin too soon. If it did, we wouldn’t have much of a chance of making it.
We need God’s patience and forgiveness, but we don’t always reciprocate the same toward others.
We’re ready to quickly condemn in many instances.
God gave Jonah another opportunity to get it right. Following Jonah’s disobedience to the initial call, God basically put the prophet in a place where Jonah had to call on Him for deliverance.
He was literally at rock bottom. There was no way to look but up. God put Jonah in that position for Jonah’s own good. God was waiting on Jonah’s call.
“Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly, And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” – Jonah 2:1-2.
Jonah was in desperation, and God heard the prophet’s cry from the depths. Though Jonah’s actions brought him to the very bottom, his prayer still reached God in Heaven. God hears our desperate cries from the depths.
They reach Him.
“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast though brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.” – Jonah 2:6.
“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry, from the waters lifted me – now safe am I.” His love lifted us from the very depths of spiritual despair.
Jonah knew who to call on. His prayer went all the way from the fish’s belly to God’s temple.
“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” – Jonah 3:7-10.
Then, God gave Jonah a second opportunity to do what He originally asked of him.
