EVERYONE NEEDS MERCY!
Scriptural Highlight: (Jonah 2: 5-6) - "The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought my life from the pit, oh Lord."
Scriptural Highlight: (Jonah 2: 5-6) - "The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought my life from the pit, oh Lord."
This section of the scripture is about what I would like to call "the mercy story of Jonah". It is clear from the Bible that not everybody who found himself in disobedience to God were able to receive a second chance. Saul was asked to go kill the Amalekites but he ended up doing it in disobedience. He killed the people he was asked to kill but spared their king and their fatted sheep for his selfish reasons. And from that day God withdrew His mercies from His life (I Samuel 15:1-27). Eli is another person. He turned a blind eye to the sin of his own children and when God warned him he refused to repent so God's curse instead of blessings came on him, his family and his entire lineage.
But here was Jonah toeing the same line. He was ready to die in his disobedience. He asked the people with him in sea to throw him inside the sea instead of him to obey God. Yet when he prayed, God's mercy still showed up for him. According to him, "The water has closed over me to take my life." He was headed for hell: "I went down to the land where bars closed upon me forever"-that's hell. "But the Lord, lifted me from the pit. Beloved, receive God's mercy. You need the mercy to be saved, you need it to keep your faith, you need it do God's will. "So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Romans 9:16 ESV). Effort is vain without mercy! Flourish!
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