God works good
even in the bad.
Maybe you’ve messed up…
Maybe someone you love has messed up…
God still works things for good
even in the bad.
Look at Jonah.
When we retell the story of Jonah,
we say God told Jonah
to go to Nineveh
but he went the other way.
He gets swallowed by a big fish.
Fish spits him out,
and he goes to Nineveh
like God had told him to do.
All this is true.
But don’t miss God
working good despite
Jonah’s disobedience.
God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh.
But Jonah disobeyed God and didn’t go.
Instead, he went the opposite direction.
I don’t think this was God’s plan.
I think God wanted Jonah
to go to Nineveh like he asked him.
But even in his disobedience
God worked his situation for good.
Jonah was on a boat with sailors.
Other men who worshipped other gods.
When the storm came, they prayed to their gods and nothing happened.
The men asked Jonah
why this storm was happening.
Jonah, despite his disobedience,
still loved God.
He told the men
it was because of him
that the storm was raging.
Jonah was bold enough
to tell them the truth.
But don’t miss this.
After the men threw Jonah overboard,
the storm stopped.
And the men were amazed
at the power of God.
The men vowed to serve God!
“The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.” Jonah 1:16
Even in Jonah’s disobedience, God displayed his power, and men followed Jesus.
Yes, we should try to do
what God asks us to do.
But like Jonah, we’re going
to mess up sometimes.
Our loved ones are going
to mess up sometimes.
Don’t get discouraged and lose hope.
God can still work good out of even the darkest situations.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:18
