Know How God Is

In studying the book of Jonah, I have been struck by how well Jonah knew what God is like. He knew that God is merciful to those who repent. He knew that salvation belongs to God. How did Jonah know what God is like? The same way we do: through His Word.

I remember early in my Christian walk hearing about a class called “Christ in the Old Testament.” I was bemused. Surely not! Isn't the New Testament the one about Jesus? But what I’ve come to learn is that Jesus Christ is all over the Old Testament and all of scripture points to Him! Of course the Bible is consistent throughout; it’s God’s word!

I mentioned in my June 23rd article that Jonah is not a book about a fish, and that's true to a degree. It's a book about salvation. It's a book about a merciful God who is also all powerful. Jonah knew God was merciful, and Jonah didn't want to see Nineveh saved. So he fled God's commission.

But, in the meantime, God appointed a fish that would save Jonah from certain death in the sea. After three days, Jonah was spat out on the shore. And God sent him yet again to call Nineveh to repentance. God's will for Jonah and for Ninevah could not be foiled, nor will his plan of salvation for us.

You see, that is what God does for His people. Paul tells us in Romans 8:11 “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

And Christ encourages us in John 5:24 “ Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

I encourage you to know what God is like. The Bible is God's Word about Himself. Through it, He speaks to us about who He is and what He has done. Its message is simple enough for anyone, but you can (and should) spend the whole rest of your life studying it without exhausting what it has to say. Immerse yourself in the scriptures daily. Pray constantly.

There is no better way to spend the time God has given you than to continually seek to know and to glorify Him for who he really is.