Encouragement

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Destiny..the future to which any person or thing is destined.

Jonah 1 verse 1 "Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, verse 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."

Jonah was picked by God to go preach to Nineveh. He tried not to heed the call, and instead headed in the other direction. While on the sea the Lord sent a great storm and everyone on the ship were afraid for their lives, except Jonah, who was fast asleep. The shipmaster came to him and asked him to call upon his God (he recognized that Jonah was a man of God). They cast lots to find out why the storm was so great, and the lot fell on Jonah. He then testified to these lost souls and requested that they throw him overboard. Then the storm ceased. Then the men of the ship feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows. God used Jonah even when he was running.

God could have thrown Jonah away, and picked someone else to preach to Nineveh...but God is sovereign, and chose Jonah (this was Jonah's destiny).

The great fish swallowed Jonah and in this dire predicament, Jonah prayed unto his God. Then the Lord spake to the fish, and it vomited (spewed out) Jonah upon dry land. Then Jonah went and preached to Nineveh (his destiny). Lo and behold, an amazing thing happened...from the King on down, every one repented, believed Jonah's message, and the Lord spared the city.

Jonah was displeased and angry. His pride was wounded because the city was not destroyed like he had preached. He went out on the east side of the city, and observed the city to see what would become of it. The Lord grew him a gourd, to give him shade and to deliver him from his grief. Jonah was glad of the gourd. But God destroyed the gourd, and the sun was hot on Jonah and he wished he could die. Jonah pitied the gourd but not the people of the great city of Nineveh. The Lord had compassion because all the people of the city repented.

Despite his hardheadedness, and lack of compassion, God still chose Jonah to do the job. This was his destiny.

These short four chapters of Jonah really give us much to think on, to meditate on, and to see the sovereign hand of God working in the life of one man, and how that one man sent by God made a difference in the city of Nineveh. Selah.

Irvin L. Rozier, author of My Walk with the Lord, www.selahbooks.com

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