Monday, March 29, 1999
Monday, March 29, 1999
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed
his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.
In the story of Jonah, we read about God repenting. Jonah was sent, by God, to the wicked city of
Nineveh. He was instructed to tell the people that God was going to destroy their city because of
their great sins. So Jonah preached and something unexpected happened. The people
repented--from the king to the common citizen of the city. It was amazing. It was the most
successful preaching ever. It even amazed Jonah who wanted God's revenge to destroy the city.
The book of Jonah tells us that God saw that the people of Nineveh had repented, so God
repented. God decided to spare the city. There was a changed in the hearts of the people, and
their relationship with God was restored.
Ronald Newhouse, Texas, USA
(Jonah 3:10
NRSV)
Frederick Buechner, a well known writer and theologian, said, "To repent is to come to our
senses. It is not so much something you do as something that happens. True repentance spends
less time looking at the past and saying 'I'm sorry,' than to the future and saying 'Wow!"
Prayer: Dear Jesus, restore me today, as I seek your forgiveness. Amen.
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