God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do to them, and he didn't do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. Jonah 3:10'4:1 WEB.It was early morning during a hot summer in the South, and we were digging up a septic tank. After we located and shoveled the dirt off the lid, I grabbed a heavy bar off the truck, and we pried it open enough to get a hose inside the tank. There is nothing quite like the smell that came out of it. Needless to say, it was tough to keep my breakfast down.
For a period of my life, that's what I did to pay the bills. I was a septic tank technician that pumped out septic tanks and grease traps with a vacuum truck. When you get your first whiff of steaming decomposing sewage, it will not be a pleasant aroma, but I can tell you that it will be a lasting one. We would often service five or six tanks a day. Many times when we arrived, they were backed up and overflowing. It was a dirty job.
One thing I noticed early on was this: All the septic tanks smelled alike. Whether it was a church, a country club, a restaurant, a mansion on a hill, or a trailer park, when you opened up that septic tank, they all had the exact same smell coming out of them. They all reeked.
The prophet Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh and preach, but God persuaded him to go anyway. Jonah brought a message of wrath and destruction, but the entire city humbled itself after hearing it. They repented of their wicked ways and turned to God. He showed them mercy and spared them from the wrath that was coming. But Jonah became very angry because Nineveh did not get what he felt they deserved.
When God looked down from heaven, they all smelled the same to Him. At that moment, His prophet Jonah was behaving worse than those who were in Nineveh. Sin is bad, and everyone has it, including Jonah. There is no need to point at someone else's sin while God is nearly heaving from the smell of yours. Only the blood of Jesus removes this stench from us.
It took me a long time to figure out that God did not dislike the same people that I did. And that the people who have wronged us will get the same forgiveness we do if they ask Him for it. All of their past deeds will be wiped out if they repent, just like ours will. For example, before, during, and after a divorce, God loves both parties involved.
It is not that people are good, but because God is good, and He wishes no one would be lost. God loves you, those that dislike you, and those who vote differently than you. Thankfully, none who repent will get what they actually deserve. Humanity has a lot in common, and one thing is that we all need His forgiveness. Thank God it is there for the asking and completely free.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for judging others and help me to clean up my own life. Thank You for having mercy on us. Please give me the grace to show that mercy to others. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!Note: For those following the Creation Photography weekly challenges, group leader, Dianna Wyles, is suffering from a respiratory illness and was not able to create a theme. Let's all encourage her with your prayers and by participating in the theme of "Healing Hands". Jeremiah 17:14 says "Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." As always, feel free to be creative! Here is the link:
Creation Photographers > You can subscribe to our daily devotional here <
Yes, amen Lord.
Amen
Amen
In Jesus name Amen.
Yes, Amen and Amen
AMEN. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your forgiveness. My Faith and Trust is in the Lord. AMEN
Amen
Amen Thank You Father For Forgiveness Good Morning Everyone
Amen Lord.
I owned a septic pumping (Roto-Rooter) business for 3 years.. To me, the grease traps were the worst smelling. Everything in life works out in the end, if we love Jesus.. It biodegrades, except grease... (deep rooted deliberate sin). Now the grease we use in life to aid us, well it's tiny molecules don't just go away so easy. They go in our septic systems and and kill the drain field lines by sealing it up and sears our conscious. Starts plugging up our senses little by little, effecting the leach lines in our lives which get rid of waste. Our hands, feet and eyes get use to sinning. Eventually the lines stop working and the back up gets closer to the septic tank (our hearts). The system dies and has to be replaced.. we only have one heart. Pumping the grease (sin) out of our septic tanks (hearts)..is crucial to having a system that works properly and doesn't fail. They all die eventually...but to have a good reliable system that works every time.. the tanks must be pumped regularly. Repentance is as easy as a phone call away. Call on Jesus and He will do all the work. He will clean out the nastiest of tanks in us and get all the grease out. (-:
Great analogy! The grease traps were the worst. Once we were at a restaurant, and the grease trap was underneath the crawl space of the building. I was operating the pump, and another guy was underneath the building feeding the pipe into the trap. We had a system to pump it out, then reverse the pump and blow it back in to break up the solids and then pump it out the final time. The pump truck was loud, and he yelled what sounded like "reverse," but apparently, meant "stop a minute." I reversed the pump, and he had the hose out of the tank. So he was wrestling with a 4" hose spraying rancid grease in a crawl space. He was neither happy nor handsome when he came out!
Oh my goodness. I had the Forrest service contract for pumping outhouses in mountain campgrounds. Worst stinkin job ever. People would throw their trash in them and it had to be removed before pumping. Pop cans were worst as they get sucked into that expensive hose and it was ruined. So I sucked a hidden can once. Only way to get it out was reverse flush. I was alone.. pressure built up more that I expected until it went like a volcano, I couldn't hold the hose, as I ran out of that place it painted the entire inside of the outhouse and my backside. I spent hours cleaning that place out. Threw my clothes away. I quit pumping them after that.
that was perfect!
Heavenly Father, please forgive me for judging others and help me to clean up my own life. Thank You for having mercy on us. Please give me the grace to show that mercy to others. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!
Amen !
Amen!!! We have a septic tank. I am not a huge fan. I like living outside city limits but there is a LOT to be said for city sewage services. We have city water and don't have a well. But no city septic.
Also, I try but I'm pretty judgey sometimes and need to keep ALL this in mind. I mean, I judge people for being judgmental. That makes me no better, than they are, I guess!
This was great it made my day. I don't think I've ever heard it put quite so well!
In Lord Christ Yeshua's name I pray this, Amen.
Thanks, Pastor Dion, for this vivid reminder that our Good God loves unconditionally! Lord, help me to love like You. In Jesus' name, Amen
Amen thank you for your mercy Father
Amen Lord Jesus!
Amen!
Amen!
Great devotional. Amen
Amen