“and Jonah remembered the Lord, and prayed to Him” (Jonah 2:7 NASB)

How quickly we forget!  Jonah had just been told by God to go to Ninevah and cry out against the people there to turn from their wickedness, and yet by the time he was thrown into the sea, he had forgotten Him.  Jonah 2:7 says, “While I was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple”  How true is this for us today, it is easy for us to go to church on Sunday, but then forget about God the rest of the week.  What does it take to trigger us to remember Him?  Jonah had weeds wrapped around his head and was starting to drown (my worst nightmare when swimming in a lake) before he ‘remembered’ God.  Oh yeah, that’s right, I know a guy that can save me!?   Note: if Jonah had listened to God the first time, he wouldn’t be in this mess!  Jonah realizes that “salvation comes from the Lord” and vows that he will “sacrifice with a voice of thanksgiving”

Today, we are in the middle of a world-wide crisis due to COVID-19, a virus that spreads really quickly.  Entertainment has been shut down, jobs have been lost or altered to work from home, and schools are closed requiring parents to teach their children.  Many would say that our ‘idols’ or things that we thought were so very important to us are not accessible right now.  Is God getting our attention?

In Jonah, chapter 3, Jonah gets a second chance and God tells him to go to Ninevah again.  This time he listens and tells the people of Ninevah that if they do not turn from their wicked ways they will be “overthrown” in forty days.  The Bible says that they “believed in God” and mourned their sins.  The king also donned on sackcloth and sat on ashes, asking the city to fast and call on God.  “Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish” (Jonah 3:9).  The people of Ninevah were saved because they listened to God’s messenger Jonah, right away, not when it was convenient or waiting for (Sunday).  Ninevah responded to God’s call to turn from wickedness, can we do the same?  Can our country turn from their idols and once again call on the Lord?  Is God trying to get our attention as He did Jonah, so that “we will cry out of our distress”, and turn from our wickedness so maybe God would save our land (and eliminate COVID-19)?  We are being called by many pastors, speakers, and other Christian leaders online to PRAY- to call on God’s mercy and bring healing to our land.  They know that God is in control and has the power to “do whatever He pleases” (Psalms 135:5-6).  Those that know Christ, know that “Salvation is from the Lord”; salvation from eternal damnation.  If an individual would lose their life to COVID-19, will they go to eternal glory (salvation) or to hell?  Will we respond as Ninevah did and return to the Lord to save our land?

Many feel guilty, thinking why should they come to God now when they haven’t been in contact with Him in a while.  Take comfort in the fact that Jonah too had to “remember God” and He wants you to return Him; God doesn’t move- we do- He is just waiting for us to come back.

The boys and I have been studying Jonah, and how we need to listen to God, THE FIRST TIME, and that there are consequences when we don’t, just like at home.  Caleb made the observation today that he “didn’t know Jonah’s backstory (yes he said this word)”.  He didn’t know anything about Jonah except that he had been swallowed by a great fish.  Yes, that the fun part of the story, but there is so much more that we can apply to our lives concerning the story of Ninevah’s return to God- especially amid a worldwide crisis.

Choose HOPE!