danger up ahead

"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.” Jonah 3:3,4

At least once a week I have the blessing of meeting a friend or two (sometimes more) for a morning run. While driving to the park early yesterday to meet one, the driver of an approaching car traveling in the opposite direction, quickly flashed his lights to warn me of some type of danger up ahead. As I slowed down and proceeded with caution, I saw the 'danger' was only a highway patrolmen looking for speeders. Had I not been going the speed limit though, I certainly could have gotten into trouble without that alert. That brief experience had me thinking how ironic it was that complete strangers would warn one another of a possible 'danger up ahead' but were hesitant or unwilling to alert them to the biggest danger of all? 

Jonah, called by God to go and warn the godless Ninevites of their impending doom or the 'danger up ahead', resisted doing it at first and ran away from his duties. Eventually God had his way with him (remember the whale?), and the rebellious Jonah finally acted and obeyed. After he went to Nineveh, he did as he was told and went into the streets proclaiming, "Forty more days and Ninevah will be overthrown." The bible then tells us (v.5-10) that the people believed! The king immediately issued a proclamation declaring a fast, a period of mourning, a call to repentance and an order to pray that God would have compassion on them. And verse 10 gives us the happy ending to the story, "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened."

The people of Ninevah were saved because Jonah obeyed. You know our world is not much different today as it was then-and each one of us is called to warn others of the consequences of turning away from God. The threat is real and the time is urgent. Will you be obedient and warn others that there is danger up ahead?

Heavenly Father, thank you for promising to forgive our sins if we would turn to you and repent. As forgiven sinners, may we feel an urgency to warn others of the consequences of a life lived apart from you. Help us to be bold, Lord, as we declare the message that there is only one way to eternal life and that is through you. It's in your precious name we pray, Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!
www.team413.org

Somebody tell them - City Harbor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjRTevhYifM