His Unfailing Love

"God did not need to create the universe; he chose to create it. Why? God is love, and love is best expressed toward something or someone else—so God created the world and people as an expression of his love."

- Intro. to Genesis, New Living Translation Bible

While completing my graduate training in ministry, I was required to take two semesters of Hebrew. Such an odd language, which is read backwards. When I first purchased a Hebrew Bible and opened it up, I was quite intimidated. Greek seemed hard enough to learn. But Hebrew? How would I ever understand this ancient language?

Our professor, David Wallace, coffee mug in hand, patiently guided us through this study and made the text come alive. By the second semester we were actually able to translate some Old Testament verses. And as it happened in my Greek class, reading in the original language truly made certain passages sing. I'll always remember how moved I was as our class translated the entire book of Jonah. God's awesome nature was so vividly displayed in this short book.

This morning I read Jonah for the umpteenth time -- but in English this time. Yet it still packed a punch as God once more revealed to me His nature in these four short chapters. The sermons that I've heard on this minor prophet book usually focus on how Jonah ran away from God and His call on the reluctant prophet -- and how we tend to do the same. We hear about the great consequences of turning our backs on God -- which there definitely are. But in this morning's reading, what emerged in my mind was God's unfailing love for both the prophet and the lost people of Nineveh.

The Lord's final words to this whining prophet were: "Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Reminds me of the words of Jesus at the close of His scathing rebuke of the Pharisees and teachers of the law: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me." -- Matt. 23:37

When our own kids rebel against our love, ignore our counsel and end up in the quagmire of sin, our hearts our broken. God's heart breaks each day for all His kids who choose to live in spiritual darkness, far away from His arms of love.

I love the story that Max Lucado tells of a mother in Brazil whose daughter left home and ended up in the streets as a prostitute. The mother wanted her back so badly that she decided to print hundreds of photos of her daughter and post them in various parts of the city where she knew her daughter lived. One day her daughter spotted one of these photos, turned the picture over and found these words written on the back:

"Whatever you've done, where ever you are, it doesn't matter. Please come home."

And she eventually did go home.

I'm just wondering how many lost people and straying prodigals would run home to the Father if they realized that He's not waiting there to punish them or shame them but rather to simply love and forgive them. And welcome them home.

And I wonder also how Jesus could use me to be a light on the porch, so to speak, letting others know through my words and actions that He is full of mercy and grace, abounding in unfailing love. He longs for those wandering in darkness to come home to the light of His love.

I pray for them right now, that they would come home.

Jim