February 24, 2010 Wednesday of Lent

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time:
“Set out for the great city of Nineveh,
and announce to it the message that I will tell you.”
So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh,
according to the LORD’s bidding. - Jonah 3:1-2

The part of this passage I want to focus on today is the first line: "The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time." Why the second time? Because the first time Jonah ran away from what the Lord wanted him to do. He got thrown out of a ship into the sea, where he was subsequently swallowed by a big fish and then vomited by the fish onto the ground. When the Lord spoke the second time, Jonah wisely decided it was better to do what He said. When the Lord asks us to do something, do we agree readily or are we like Jonah and start running away? While we might not get swallowed by a whale, our life does not go well when we ignore what God wants. What is God asking of you today? Will you listen?