Saturday Reflection – 07 November 2020

Saturday Reflection – 07 November 2020

“As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to you.” Jonah 2:7

The story of Jonah is a very popular one. Jonah had been called by God to go to Nineveh and preach a message of repentance. Jonah however disobeyed God, for he thought the Ninevites were not deserving of God’s mercy and ran to Tarshish. It was on the boat travelling to Tarshish that a violent storm brewed on the seas. In response, Jonah told the other men to throw him overboard and he was swallowed by a big fish. Then the storm had calmed. Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish, of which he stayed in continual prayer to God.

Jonah considers his sin, and the consequences brought on by his action of disobedience. As he prays, he thinks, just as we many times do, that there is no means of redemption. But Jonah, in his moment of trouble and distress, turns himself to the throne of grace, and throws himself on the mercies of God. The good thing, many times said, that God is not like man, we serve a forgiving and merciful God. Hear Jonah in verses 3 -7 “You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me. Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; how shall I look again upon your holy temple?’ The waters closed in over me; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the Pit, O Lord my God. As my life was ebbing away, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.”

Jonah had seen the error of his ways, and with a repentant heart, right where he was, he committed himself to turn back to the Lord. And in his contrition, as he life ebbs away, he prays depending on God’s grace to be meted to him. This experience reminds us, that God desires our obedience, and we ought to trust the leading and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is a call to look beyond our limited sight and thought, surrendering to our omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God. As the now people of God, self must be slain, that God would be glorified. The prophet Jonah limited the mercy of God and refused to allow the people of Nineveh to turn from their sin to righteousness. We must open ourselves, to be used by God – and according to God’s will and purpose. It is interesting that in determining that the Ninevites did not deserve God’s grace, he disobeyed God and therein sinned. And now Jonah needed God’s grace. As sinners saved by grace, we must never judgemental but always open to lead others to the cross, that they may experience God’s grace.

The final thought from Jonah’s experience relates a loving and merciful God who will continually hear the cry of the penitent and will answer their prayer. It is not God’s will that anyone should perish, and so he stands to dispense his grace to anyone who would return to the Lord, our God. Many times, we may feel irreparably separated from God. And there, like Jonah, when our life ebbs away, we may be able to look up and approach the throne of grace. Jonah had sinned for he was disobedience, and the consequences of his disobedience were meted out, but in his penitence, he experienced God’s grace that is greater than all our sin. We are imperfect human beings, and when we fall, we need only in true contrition and repentance, to confess our sins, and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Until next week,
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain:
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

Amen.

Dominic J. Blair