We can change our minds several times a day, perhaps where to go, what to eat, which TV programme to watch. How often do you change your mind in the big important moments of life? Who to marry, which job to apply for, how to deal with a crisis in your family. When we make those big decisions we can sometimes look back in hindsight and feel perhaps that we should have stuck with our original plan.

In today’s chapter we have three accounts of changed minds.  First we have the account of Jonah changing his mind. Having refused to go to Nineveh when God first called him (1:1-2) Jonah now relents and obeys the Lord and went to Nineveh. Why the sudden change of mind? My theory is that he recognised and acknowledged God’s compassion in rescuing him from the belly of a fish and felt compelled to show his gratitude by doing what God asked him to. We then have the people of Nineveh changing their minds from a way of wickedness to repenting of their ways by fasting and the wearing of sackcloth. This is in response to the message that Jonah delivered from God. Not wanting to be destroyed by the wrath of God they believed and acted upon God’s offer of forgiveness should they turn from their evil ways.

We then have our third change of mind, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened” (3:10). Just as God had shown compassion on Jonah by rescuing him from the belly of a fish He also shows compassion on the people of Nineveh because they too obeyed God in turning from their wicked ways. How we make important decisions can and will influence and affect the lives of others. God’s ‘change of mind’ resulted in a whole city being saved, how much influence can we have if we follow God’s ways and commands instead of going our own way?

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Questions:

Do you believe that God changes his mind and if so what evidence is there in scripture?

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has known the mind of Lord that he may instruct him?” Do you believe then that you can, through prayer, change the mind of God?

Prayer:

Help us Lord that when we make wrong choices and go our own way that we have a change of mind, to follow you and obey your commands each and every day. Amen.