More Faith
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
Jonah 3:6-9
I’ve come to realise I’m a bit of a pessimistic person. Sometimes, I can be downright cynical. When it comes to governments. When it comes to people. Sadly, when it comes to God.
Oh I pray the prayers sometimes. I pray for Australia. I pray for revival in Wollongong. And sometimes, not all the time, but most of the time, I just struggle to believe it could be possible. Is that you too?
Well. Imagine Nineveh. Here is a city described as wicked by God. Archaeology tells us they were bloodthirsty and cruel. They revelled in violence. As we saw in the first sermon from our series, their King likes to think of himself as something like God. It’s as unlikely an environment for repentance as your going to get.
And yet. Here we are. A whole population in sackcloth and ashes. Animals fasting (how do you make that happen!?). Repentance and revival has come to Nineveh. Led by their King and Nobles.
Now, maybe you think this is more fable than history. Cynical but possibly understandable. But it’s not like this is the only time in history that something like this has happened. The Roman Empire was not always Christian. China had almost no Christians in the 17th Century (50-100 million today?).
So why not today? You know what. I need to have more faith. More faith that God can actually do what I might think impossible. That’s what I’m going to pray for today - faith as big as a mustard seed and for God to do something that seems impossible to me.
For Today:
Pray:
Praise the Father that with Him all things are possible. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who reminds us of God’s power. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others have faith as big as a mustard seed.
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
Jonah 3:6-9
I’ve come to realise I’m a bit of a pessimistic person. Sometimes, I can be downright cynical. When it comes to governments. When it comes to people. Sadly, when it comes to God.
Oh I pray the prayers sometimes. I pray for Australia. I pray for revival in Wollongong. And sometimes, not all the time, but most of the time, I just struggle to believe it could be possible. Is that you too?
Well. Imagine Nineveh. Here is a city described as wicked by God. Archaeology tells us they were bloodthirsty and cruel. They revelled in violence. As we saw in the first sermon from our series, their King likes to think of himself as something like God. It’s as unlikely an environment for repentance as your going to get.
And yet. Here we are. A whole population in sackcloth and ashes. Animals fasting (how do you make that happen!?). Repentance and revival has come to Nineveh. Led by their King and Nobles.
Now, maybe you think this is more fable than history. Cynical but possibly understandable. But it’s not like this is the only time in history that something like this has happened. The Roman Empire was not always Christian. China had almost no Christians in the 17th Century (50-100 million today?).
So why not today? You know what. I need to have more faith. More faith that God can actually do what I might think impossible. That’s what I’m going to pray for today - faith as big as a mustard seed and for God to do something that seems impossible to me.
For Today:
- What are you struggling to believe God can do?
- Ask God to grow your faith in Him.
- Ask God to work through you to see one person trust in Jesus in the next three years.
Pray:
Praise the Father that with Him all things are possible. Give thanks for Jesus Christ who reminds us of God’s power. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others have faith as big as a mustard seed.
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