TODAY’S VERSE:
Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
As we continue our study on the book of Jonah in prep school, we learned about the ripple effect of both positive and negative decisions. Do you know what that phrase means? A ripple effect is defined as “continuing results of an action”. Every decision we make affects other people as well as ourselves. The consequences are not always immediate, though, they may be delayed. These same consequences may be temporary or they may last a lifetime.
The book of Jonah tells us a story about one of God’s prophets who was given a command to warn a certain people, the Ninevites, that God was going to destroy them for their sinful lifestyle unless they repented. We read that Jonah disobeyed God and sailed off on a boat headed the opposite direction of Ninevah. As you can imagine, his disobedience had quite the ripple effect.
Jonah 1:4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.
Jonah knew that this storm was God’s response to his disobedience, so he told the men to throw him overboard.
Jonah 1:15-17 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
God sent the fish to save Jonah from drowning but, more importantly, He wanted to get him all alone and in a desperate situation that could only be overcome by God, Himself. In Jonah 2:1-9 we read Jonah’s prayer of repentance from inside the belly of the fish (go read that on your own, please). We see that Jonah was humbled to the point of repentance for his sin of disobedience, that he remembered that God was in charge- NOT him, and that he promised to obey the Lord. So, God gave him one more chance to do as he was originally commanded.
Jonah 2:10-3:3a And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. 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.
The ripple effect of Jonah’s decisions threatened the lives of many, many people, including Jonah, himself. God, in His grace, though, showed Jonah mercy, giving him another chance. God’s decisions resulted in many, many lives being saved, including Jonah’s, as well as providing the opportunity for unbelievers to see His amazing power and grace in action.
Never forget that there is always a ripple effect for every single decision you make. This is why it is so important that we read our Bibles and pray every single day. When we do, He is then able to guide our thoughts and actions so we are able to make positive decisions with positive ripple effects!!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.