Against the Flow

Our upper room at church has just been refurbished and Martin reflected on how often during the process it looked like a complete mess, and it was easy to be discouraged! But he was excited for what was to come, for the amazing things that were planned to take place in that room.

This image really resonated with the book of Jonah. The people of Nineveh were in a mess and although it broke God's heart, He was excited for all that was to come when they repented and turned back to Him. It's humbling to see how even a prophet like Jonah, called to be a man of God, could get himself into such a mess, all because he couldn't get his head around just how loving and forgiving God was. It's easy for us to get caught up in our own or other people's "mess" – thinking of ourselves or others as not worthy of God's love or forgiveness. But through the story of Jonah, we see God as rescuer and restorer, and a God who really challenges us to love and forgive.

We can come to Jesus, however broken we're feeling, however much we think we've wronged Him. There will be consequences to our actions, God will bring justice, but our job is to show this love to those around us as we continue to try and grasp the magnitude of God's love for His creation. This is a posture we can have, it's an attitude we can apply to everyday life as we walk with Jesus. 🐳