Dec 30 2008
Whose Agenda Do We Serve?
Today I marveled again as I read the story of Jonah, the prophet who ran away from God. God had specifically ordered him to Ninevah to preach that the city would be overthrown in forty days if they did not repent.
Eerdman’s Bible Handbook explains that Jonah wasn’t afraid to go to Ninevah to preach. Rather he disobeyed because he was angry with Ninevah, the capital of Assyria, a cruel, threatening enemy nation of Israel. He actually wanted God to destroy Ninevah and had no desire to see the people converted and forgiven of sin.
Jonah had an agenda other than God’s. By refusing to preach, he was in essence stomping his foot against God’s will and refusing to allow God to love the enemies of Israel.
Sometimes we as believers don’t quite “get” God’s love. We believe enemies should be destroyed for their evil deeds rather than be forgiven. The thing we need to see is that God loves all men equally, no matter what they’ve done, and He wants them to come to repentance so He can establish relationship, which is the goal of everything He does.
When God asks me to go and preach, I dare not pick and choose those who are “worthy” or deserving of salvation, because not one of us fits that description. We are all equally guilty and deserving of judgment, but God in His great love, made a way of escape.
If I struggle with this concept I must ask God to show me how He sees the enemies of faith. And when I can see them through the eyes of love, I will preach my heart out on their behalf. This, in fact, is the very reason I live…
Because of His great love,
Nancy
