Seek and Find

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:10

Every morning, I read tomorrow’s passage, and then spend the day thinking on it, asking myself a few of questions. What is the passage saying? What does it tell me about God? What is God trying to communicate to me? What does this mean for my life?

God made us to live in an intimate relationship with him, desiring that we follow, love, and know him more every day. We come to know God better by reading, meditating, and listening to him. To know him more requires that we intentionally spend time interacting with him.

What then, is today’s passage about? In the story, Jonah was sent to Nineveh to tell the people that God was going to overthrow them for their evil behavior. They believed, repented, and radically changed their behavior. God then changed his plans and chose not to destroy the city.

What does this tell us about God? We know from other passages that God is timeless, all-knowing, and in control. How then, can God plan on one thing and then change his mind? Today’s passage tells us that though God is sovereign, he somehow still deals with us in our time. From our perspective at least, our response to God changes how he interacts with us.

What does this mean for us? The passage teaches us that God often uses the consequences of our self-destructive behavior to shape us. When we pursue evil, we usually find it. In finding misery – or in the threat of it – we can and should turn to God. In following him, our future changes. This doesn’t mean that following God means a problem-free life or that all trials are our fault. It just means that today’s behavior shapes tomorrow’s outcome.

God loves us and desires that we love him back. When we seek him, we find him. In finding him, we come to know the life, joy, and peace that only he can provide. Seeking God daily, instead of our self-destructive appetites, matters.