“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.” Jonah 3:1-5
Yesterday, Pastor Tom Wirsing followed the nudge of the Lord to not go to Nineveh, but come to Our Redeemer in Bloomington and share a message over these verses from Jonah 3, and he did very well. He challenged each of us, young and old, to consider how we have answered the call to go to our own Nineveh during our journey.
While driving home, I felt pretty good about having quit my engineering job after 31 years and at 50, left to become a Lutheran missionary in Haiti. I felt satisfied that my time spent there was my Nineveh and then I wondered if God was satisfied with my following His call. Well, to my sinful mind, the answer might be “yes” and “no”. Yes, hopefully He is pleased with my work but “no” I am not nearly done yet; because I am still here.
When I got home the next item on my agenda was to watch the service from Christ in Lincoln, NE on my ipad and Pastor Luke Schnake talked about seeking, listening, choosing and doing what is God pleasing. Midway through his message it seemed as these two servants must have been sharing notes but they preached on different scriptures; a God moment. If you don’t hear God talking to you or feel Him nudging you, please put down the church newsletter during the sermon and pay attention.
And if you are reading this, there must still be a Nineveh or two left for you to complete on this side of Heaven. Please, prayerfully consider joining me in feeding a few kids in Haiti this year, who will become missionaries to the many Ninevites in their own neighborhood. I am closing today with words from the first verse of the hymn “Blessed Jesus, at your Word” that were sung at Christ in Lincoln, NE yesterday.
“Blessed Jesus, at your word, we are gathered all to hear you. Let our hearts and souls be stirred, now to seek and love and fear you. By your gospel pure and holy, teach us, Lord, to love you solely.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay