God answers prayers and we must never forget to have enough faith to always pray.
Luke 18:1 - Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,
Praise God!
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Today, we take another look at Jonah's story. He was a servant of God who - and I wouldn't advise this - refused to do God's bidding. The result was that he was thrown off a ship and ended up in the mouth of a whale. However, when he repented for his stubbornness and praised God, the whale vomited him out. On the shoreline of the city he'd refused to go to, no less.
Although Jonah is a case study in God's patience and mercy for His servants, there is more to learn from His experience. He'd been sent to give the Kingdom of Nineveh a dire warning from the Lord - “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4). Thankfully, the people of Nineveh took this message seriously. Their king instituted a fast with no food or water for every individual and all animals so as to stave off God's threatened wrath. God, in kind, acknowledged the kingdom's effort to honor Him and destruction did not come to Nineveh for at least another 150 years. All good, right?
Not as far as Jonah was concerned. He was upset that God hadn't wiped them off the map. In fact, he complained (and explained) that he hadn't wanted to come to Nineveh in the first place because he'd known God might forgive them (Jonah 4:2). Keep in mind that the Kingdom of Nineveh was his nation's archenemy.
And what was God's reaction to Jonah? He asked him this simple question in “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4).
Ask yourself the same question, is it right to be angry when God extends mercy to your enemies? Those people who've done you wrong and seemingly without remorse?
God didn't think so. And he didn't think He should deprive kindness from the Ninevites especially after they sought His grace. And this is an important lesson to keep in mind - God can show mercy to anyone, especially if they seek His forgiveness, something others may never witness or hear about. As a matter of fact, you should be grateful God shows mercy to those who aren't at their best, after all, you are equally imperfect. Besides, if not for the Lord's grace and kindness toward us, where would you be?
The fact that God would show mercy to those you deem wicked shouldn't be a surprise because Jesus taught in Matthew 5:44 - But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Be honest. That's a tough pill to swallow, correct? How do you love someone who's shown you nothing but misery and pain? How do you take the additional step of praying for them? The answer to this is to remember the example of Jesus Christ. He was spat on, insulted, and eventually crucified by people who hated him. Yet, what did He say as he hung on the cross dying? Luke 23:34 - Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. For His selflessness, Jesus was elevated to sit at the right hand of God.
It isn't easy to forgive the wicked. It is even harder to love them and pray for their good. However, God wouldn't have told us to do these things if it wasn't something He expected. And God might expect you to do this someday, just as His Son had to.
Will you be ready?
To learn more, please read the following related posts:
Most of us are familiar with the instruction in James 4:7 - Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. How many of us, however, understand what it means to resist the devil? And if satan met us face to face, would you know what to do?
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gives us a key example we can all emulate in the effort to set the devil aflight and keep it away. In Matthew 4:10, the Son of God said the following, "Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Those words are a crucial weapon in every believer's arsenal. And when coupled with scripture, the devil has no comeback. Just as it did with Jesus, it will back off.
There's also Jude 1:9 - But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (NIV).
Another instance where the devil was pushed back was in Zechariah 3:2 - The angel of the LORD said to Satan, "May the LORD condemn you, Satan! May the LORD, who loves Jerusalem, condemn you. This man is like a stick snatched from the fire." (GNT).
Consider that same verse in a few other Bible versions -
But the LORD said, "Satan, you are wrong. Jerusalem is my chosen city, and this man was rescued like a stick from a flaming fire." (CEV).
The LORD said to Satan, "I, the LORD, silence you, Satan! I, the LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, silence you! Isn't this man like a burning log snatched from a fire?" (GWT).
Why is it important to know how to command the devil to back off? Because the devil is constantly attacking God's children and usually in ways they cannot readily recognize. Nevertheless, we have to be ready with God's word to rebuke satan each time it takes a step against us. And how does it do this? By whispering slick lies to us. You woke up inspired to do something and suddenly, a thought slips into your mind suggesting that your efforts won't count. That nothing you do will work. And suddenly, your enthusiasm dims. Or, it throws arrows to block a person's path in an attempt to keep them from succeeding. Their car breaks down. They lose their phone. The person they need to speak to is mysteriously absent or busy.
Whichever way the devil tries to attack, the children of God are well-armed to resist it and send it fleeing. He has given us scripture for this very reason. Our Father opened His mouth and spoke against satan. So must we. Jesus wasn't quiet when the devil repeatedly tried to tempt Him and we can't be either. We must pronounce the word of God and tell satan to back off. We must declare the word of God, just as Jesus did when He resisted the devil three times in the wilderness.
And there's something else we have to do. We must submit ourselves to God as James 4:7 states. We must therefore choose to live righteously, putting sin behind us in order to live the way God wants. It is the way we live our life that speaks the loudest in resisting the devil and causing it to flee. Let us take it one day at a time, trusting the Lord to build us up and make us deadly weapons for His earthly ministry who terrify hell itself. The Lord will help us because His plan is to turn us into vessels that give Him glory, IJN, Amen. Never forget, His glory rises upon us and we have authority in Christ. Hallelujah!
If you forgot about the numerous ways satan uses deceit to throw us off, now would be a good time to refresh your memory by reading the following,
Get Scrappy
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