Oh To Be Wise Meditations
Nineveh Repents. The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. When the king of Nineveh heard what was happening, he also dressed in sackcloth; he left the royal palace and sat in dust. Then he and his officials sent out an order for everyone in the city to obey. It said: None of you or your animals may eat or drink a thing. Each of you must wear sackcloth, and you must even put sackcloth on your animals. You must also pray to the LORD God with all your heart and stop being sinful and cruel. Maybe God will change his mind and have mercy on us, so we won't be destroyed. When God saw that the people had stopped doing evil things, he had pity and did not destroy them as he had planned. LORD, You held back your fury. You kept back your blazing anger. Convert us, O God our Savior: and turn off thy anger from us. You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. You establish the mountains by Your power, robed with strength. You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy. You take care of the earth and water it, making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water; it provides a bountiful harvest of grain, for you have ordered it so. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. Meadows are filled with sheep and goats; valleys overflow with grain and echo with joyful songs. We tried to flatter God, and instead we told him lies; we were unfaithful and broke our promises. Yet God was kind. He kept forgiving our sins and didn't destroy us. He often became angry, but never lost his temper. God remembered that are made of flesh and were like a wind that blows once and then dies down. Oh, how often we rebelled against him in the wilderness of trials and grieve his heart in that dry wasteland of sin. Jesus has given us the strength we need to not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom we were sealed for the day of redemption. Thank you Jesus for the gift of repentance, something you do not turn away from but actually listen to our hearts and minds for sincerity.
Meditate Jer. 26:13
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