At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. (Jon. 1:16)
“THE SHOW-ME STATE” is the nickname of the state where I live and write. I don’t know if the moniker holds true, but the idea is that we Missourians require concrete evidence, specifically in the form of our own observation and seeing, to believe what we are told.
The book of Jonah is full of lessons on God’s grace. God saved Jonah from the belly of a fish after he ran from God and the assignment God had given him. And God had mercy on the sinful people of Nineveh when they repented, though Jonah showed no compassion for the city.
When the false-god-worshiping sailors turned their prayer to God before tossing Jonah into the sea, God responded in a visible way. Not only did He forgive the men for what they’d done, He calmed the seas. They immediately believed in the one true God.
Our heavenly Father knows what is needed to bring each of us to Him. He masterfully used the strange events described in Jonah to turn the hearts of as many people as possible. Perhaps a firsthand experience is what those sailors needed to become believers.
I don’t know if the Ninevites were of a “show-me” nature of not, but I know God is able to do miracles. The Bible and my faith tell me so.
Show your faith daily to the world, so you’ll make believers of those you meet.
Hally Franz is a former high school guidance counselor turned stay-at-home mom. She enjoys being a 4-H leader, church secretary, book club member, and traveler.
