2026 Pentecost Devotions II
Wednesday, September 16
Jonah 3:1-9
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Humans and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”
“… And the people of Nineveh believed God; …”
This is the preacher’s ultimate goal: Preach one sermon so powerful that the people, from the king on down, repent and turn to the Lord. Wow! I can hear it now as folks are exiting the church on that Sunday morning. “Wow, Pastor! That was some sermon today. I can’t wait to repent of my sin, give up all my possessions, and serve the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind!”
Unfortunately, for most of us preachers, that’s not what happens. On our best day, folks coming out of worship tell us that they “got something out of today’s sermon.” Beyond that, there’s not Nineveh.
That doesn’t mean that folks aren’t listening. It doesn’t mean that the Gospel hasn’t been preached. It doesn’t mean that hearts haven’t been touched, souls haven’t been strengthened, and minds haven’t been enlightened. It’s not that the Spirit didn’t bring about a change in people’s lives.
What it does mean is that the Holy Spirit works in ways that are often hidden – filling the lives of the saints with the love of God, the peace of Christ, and the power of God’s presence. It means that the prayers that were prayed, the songs that were song, the readings that were heard, and the Word that was received all combined to reveal the mercy and grace of God in ways that are unseen yet powerful in the lives of the worshipers.
It’s not Nineveh; but for the preacher on Sunday morning, it is the joy of knowing God is present.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Your presence in worship. Fill us with Your Spirit each time we gather, and inspire us to live lives reflecting Your glory and grace. Amen.