WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: Isaiah 66:2 tells us that God esteems ‘humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word’. Ask the Lord to develop such a spirit in you.

Contagious grace
Had the story of Jonah ended with chapter 2, we would know that God is gracious when we are disobedient but we would still be wondering whether past failures mean that God dismisses us from his service. When Christians mess up, does God take us off the case? Chapter 3 reassures us that God gives his disobedient children a second chance (v 1).

God’s extraordinary grace is also a challenge. We are to show the same grace to others (see Matthew 5:43–48). Is there someone you know who needs to be given a second chance? Grace is contagious! Jonah’s second chance (vs 3,4) resulted in a second chance for Nineveh too.

True repentance
Nineveh’s 40-day period of judgement and testing (v 4) resulted in such radical change that they became an example of true repentance (Matthew 12:41). The Ninevites teach us that repentance starts with believing God’s word (v 5) and grasping the seriousness of our position before him (v 9).

Real repentance is demonstrated in a change of attitude toward God (vs 5,8,10) and a change in behaviour toward others (v 10).

Respond: Pray for people you know or for cities and nations which do not seek or fear God. Ask the Lord to send his messengers to them. The Lord may send you with a word for them! Are you ready to go?

http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-02-15