I look forward to our gathering this Sunday. Just like the early church, our assembly will be a celebration of the risen Lord. Being that it is the last Sunday of the month, we will be bringing our tithes and offerings as an act of worship. Byron Harvey will be bringing the message from Jonah 3. As we prepare for this Sunday, I would encourage you to take a moment to read Byron's thoughts below.
The word “relentless” is often used in a negative context. We say things like, “my boss is a relentless taskmaster” or “this heat is relentless” (or perhaps a couple months back, “this rain is relentless”!). The definitions rendered online are in a similar vein: “harsh or inflexible”; “oppressively constant”. Even a seemingly more mild definition, “incessant” (without ceasing), often takes on negative connotations, as in “incessant criticism” or “incessant bickering”. We don’t often use such words as these in a positive way.
And yet we see such an example as we study Jonah: the mercy of God is shown, in a variety of ways, to be relentless, unceasing, constant. As we will see, God’s relentless mercy extends to those who fail spectacularly, as well as to those who sin extraordinarily. Come to think of it, who among us does that not describe? Who among us can’t identify with spectacular failure in one fashion or another? Who among us would dare not say that at times, we sin in extraordinary ways?
This is what demonstrates God’s mercy to be relentless, His grace to be amazing. Scripture assures us that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”. Jeremiah reminds us that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (dare we call it “relentless”?); his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” It’s this relentless mercy that came “a second time” to Jonah. It’s this relentless mercy that pursued a deeply immoral, violent society in Nineveh, that brought about this people’s repentance, and that withheld promised punishment in response to that repentance. And it’s this relentless mercy that is not only available, but imperative, for us to experience.
The word “relentless” is often used in a negative context. We say things like, “my boss is a relentless taskmaster” or “this heat is relentless” (or perhaps a couple months back, “this rain is relentless”!). The definitions rendered online are in a similar vein: “harsh or inflexible”; “oppressively constant”. Even a seemingly more mild definition, “incessant” (without ceasing), often takes on negative connotations, as in “incessant criticism” or “incessant bickering”. We don’t often use such words as these in a positive way.
And yet we see such an example as we study Jonah: the mercy of God is shown, in a variety of ways, to be relentless, unceasing, constant. As we will see, God’s relentless mercy extends to those who fail spectacularly, as well as to those who sin extraordinarily. Come to think of it, who among us does that not describe? Who among us can’t identify with spectacular failure in one fashion or another? Who among us would dare not say that at times, we sin in extraordinary ways?
This is what demonstrates God’s mercy to be relentless, His grace to be amazing. Scripture assures us that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more”. Jeremiah reminds us that “the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (dare we call it “relentless”?); his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” It’s this relentless mercy that came “a second time” to Jonah. It’s this relentless mercy that pursued a deeply immoral, violent society in Nineveh, that brought about this people’s repentance, and that withheld promised punishment in response to that repentance. And it’s this relentless mercy that is not only available, but imperative, for us to experience.
Posted in The Greeting