For anyone tracking, I am about 2 1/2 weeks behind in this post. I normally have been posting at least once a month with a monthly memory verse. Well, this month I was out of town at the beginning of September and I literally haven’t been home this month but for 5 days. While it is the middle or near end of the month, I have a great verse to share and lots that God has taught me about this verse.
For the most of the month, I was in Israel with my church and family. First off if you haven’t gone you NEED to go. It’s not scary or dangerous, but life-giving and amazing. With that out of the way, there were many things that touched my heart while in Israel, but I want to share a continual theme that kept coming up throughout the trip. God wants our hearts, and with our hearts comes our allegiance, and with our allegiance comes obedience. You see God wants to be in a relationship with you, where you surrender your ways to His and live in obedience to what He tells you to do. That may sound scary and sometimes it might be, but the outcome will be worth the risk.
One of our first stops along the way was to the town of Joppa. Joppa is the city port where Jonah tried to run away from God and got on a boat headed for Tarshish. God had asked Jonah to go to Nineveh and call out against them for their evil has caught God’s attention. (Jonah 1:1-3) But Jonah knew God and knew God would have compassion on the Ninevehites and not send wrath upon them. This was a big deal to Jonah because the Ninevehites had invaded Jonah’s land earlier in his life and quite possibly were responsible for the death of his parents. They were wicked and mean people. And Jonah didn’t want them to have any of God’s mercy. So He ran away from God. And we all know how the story goes. Jonah gets thrown overboard, swallowed by a big fish, repents in the fish’s stomach and gets thrown onto dry land. He finally goes to Nineveh and tells them God will send His wrath if they don’t repent, and the city will be overthrown. According to Jonah 3:5 the people of Nineveh repent, fast and cry out to God. Verse 10 of chapter 3 tells us that when God saw what they did, how they turned from their wicked ways, and He relented of the disaster He had for them.
Jonah still wrestled with God’s mercy over his judgement which we all do from time to time, but the point is that Jonah, after going through a lot of trouble (and a fish), decided obedience to God is best. The end result, the city was saved, even though they didn’t deserve it. Our God still saves people who don’t deserve it, and for that, we should be grateful.
The city is also home to another person in the Bible – Simon the Tanner. Peter the disciple is staying in Joppa with Simon the Tanner when Peter has the vision of food coming down from heaven. Acts 10:1-35. This story is the beginning of Peter’s ministry to the Gentiles. This place is where Peter encountered God in a vision – where God told Him that God makes all things, including all men, clean. You may be wondering why that is important. What God was telling Peter is God wants ALL MEN (and women and children) to be saved, not just those who are of Jewish heritage. Peter’s obedience to God is why I am a child of God today. God again wanted to show Himself merciful to all men, and He needed a person to do that.
Through both of these stories, God was glorified and people were saved. I don’t think that Jonah or Peter knew the impact of their obedience. I don’t think they could ever imagine the ripple effect that act would have for years to come.
Joppa is a town that reminds us that God wants to partner with us to make His name famous in all the world. We can either surrender and obey, or we can fear and try to run and hide; but God will still accomplish His will. When we try to avoid obeying God, we don’t stop His plans but rather bring ourselves, pain, frustration, and fear.
God doesn’t want what we can offer Him. He wants our hearts. Because when He has our hearts, obedience follows naturally, and God’s goodness is spread through the land.
Ok. I realize this is long, but stick with me. We are no different than Jonah or Peter. God has called everyone who believes in Him to share that faith with others. And sometimes we respond with, “But they don’t deserve it.” And sometimes we respond with, “God they could never turn their hearts over to you. They are evil or, to put it in Peter’s terms, unclean.” But God is full of mercy and His ways are higher than ours. The bible says in 2 Peter 3:9 that God wants all people to be saved and none to perish. So what is holding you back from obeying God and sharing His love with those around you? You have a choice. You can be like Jonah and go through some pretty gross things before you obey God, or you can be like Peter and wrestle it out in prayer and obey God. Which way will you choose?
Click here for September’s memory verse.