Observation: We went through Jonah a few weeks ago in Bible study, and I was reminded: Jonah is hands down the worst prophet ever. It's comical how bad at it he is. To not just refuse God's call, but book passage to the opposite side of the known world to avoid it? Bold move. And even after God nearly sinks his ship, and sends a fish to swallow him and spit him back on land after he jumps overboard (presumably to his death?), Jonah still does not get it. He shuffles through the streets of Nineveh--a town he genuinely does not want God to save--and mumbles this cryptic, not-that-convincing oracle: "Forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown." And sure enough, despite Jonah's best efforts, his message spreads like wildfire and the whole city repents. Who knew?
Application: A message I need to repeat to myself sometimes is, "You can't manufacture faith for others. You can only be faithful to God right now."
Faith is a gift from the Holy Spirit. It doesn't come in a kit you can order online, and it can't be whipped up out of nothing no matter how good your preaching or worship music is. Faith. Comes. From. God. Period. If God can turn a whole foreign civilization to repentance using a grumpy, begrudging prophet who doesn't even bother to drop God's name, then maybe God can also do something with the best of my efforts for today. And despite my oblivious nature at times, God can also create some faith in me.
Prayer: God, if you made the world from nothing, I know you can make faith out of the tangled web of thoughts, feelings and conflicted loyalties in my heart. I believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.
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