Jonah 3:1-5 (ESV)

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days' journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

This feels like something’s missing. The Bible doesn’t say why the people of Nineveh even listened to Jonah. Why didn’t they just assume that he’s a nutcase? And he’s an Israeli; the Ninevites hate Israelis as much as Jonah hates the Ninevites. They could have stoned him.

The only clue we have comes in Chapter 4, verse 2, when Jonah announces that his expectation that Nineveh would repent is why he fled to Tarshish. “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish;” (ESV)

Jonah wasn’t afraid they’d use him for target practice; he was afraid they’d repent. He doesn’t even use fear for his safety as an excuse for why he fled to Tarshish. This sounds like Jonah was already a familiar face in Nineveh.

Otherwise, he’d have been more worried about being assaulted than being believed.

What Jonah gets wrong is that he doesn’t see Nineveh as part of his personal mission field. God specifically sent him on a mission to preach to them, and Nineveh appears to be within his sphere of influence. Plus, he’s confident in the success of the mission.

Still, he refused to go. How crazy is that?

This gets back to the theme of this book being about a change in perspective. Jonah wants to choose his personal mission field, instead of discovering it. He misunderstands who he is and who God is. The LORD gives out the assignments. Jonah’s job is to execute them.

The same concept applies to us. Do you know what your personal mission field is? Have you ever thought about it? Prayed about it?

Every Christian needs to discover their role in the Kingdom of God. The phrase “personal mission field” may sound like it’s strictly about preaching and evangelizing, but it’s not. Anything can be a mission.

God might want you to fix something in the church or for a neighbor in need. He might call you to make coffee on Sunday morning before church. That was my calling for years.

You don’t choose what to do; God calls you to a mission.

That’s why it’s known as a “calling.”

All the weekly study guides, which include all five devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

The Job book is on Amazon and is eligible for Amazon Prime. The Kindle edition will be out soon.

https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Purposes-Lesson-God-Job/dp/1684719534