More Ways Than One

“And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship.” - Exodus 35:31 
 
 
Picking up from where we left off yesterday, Jonah’s disobedience landed him in the mouth of a big fish. And because God’s plans always prevail, the fish takes him to Nineveh. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?  
 
Now, the Ninevites were stone-cold killers. Everything they have done is like MS 13, ISIS, and Boko Haram; these folks were scary. They hated Jewish people. They despised Jewish people. So how in the world are they going to listen to a dude name Jonah that’s Jewish who is telling them to repent and turn from their wicked ways? What would cause a group of people that feared no one to listen to a dude who was not from their land and who spoke a message that was the complete opposite of a walking Hallmark card? 
 
It wasn’t, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jonah. I would like to give you a word Jesus has laid on my heart.” That wasn’t going to work. And God knew that. That is why God allowed all of the circumstances to play out the way they did. He knew exactly what the Ninevites would need to hear. He knew they wouldn’t listen to a random Jewish speaker walking into their city and telling them they need to repent. 
 
You can’t just come at someone all “holier than thou.” Sometimes God doesn’t give you a message so that you can say, “this is how I am, and this is how you should be.” He doesn’t tell you to share His Word just so that you can remind people they aren’t doing it correctly.  
 
I think sometimes we think about the way pastors preach, and we think when we share a message from God, or what is on our hearts, we must present it the same way. But God has taken you to a different audience. People in church have chosen to come (at least we hope so). But you might be somewhere sharing your faith where the people have no desire to hear the word of God.  
 
Even in those circumstances, God will give you everything you need, just like He did for Jonah. The words, the resources, He will provide all of that. But understand, whatever message He gives you, there is more than one way to present it! Everyone might need the same message… but they all might need it a little differently!