** That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. ** Philemon 6
Do we all know why Nineveh repented and turned to God when Jonah came into town?
Because of a story.
In 2 Kings 19, we read about the king of Assyria provoking a war with Hezekiah, king of Judah. He sends threats and warnings by word and by letter. Hezekiah lays it all before the Lord and then….
** And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. **
185,000 dead in one night. Without even raising a single sword.
So, what did the king of Assyria do?
** So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at**….. WHERE???
Nineveh.
The terrified and traumatized king runs far, far away and when he gets to Nineveh, he tells everyone about a God that can destroy an entire army in one night. Without making a sound. Without a single weapon. They were just dead. All of them. Dead.
I imagine that day after day, that story was passed around the town. Friend to friend. Family to family. Generation to generation.
And then one day Jonah shows up and says…**Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. **
8 words.
Eight words.
Then what happened?
**..the people of Nineveh believed God. *
8 words. Were they powerful words? Not really. But they were backed by a story. A story about a king and a seige and the death of 185,000. In one night.
The people of Nineveh remembered the story. And when God spoke directly to them years later…
THEY BELIEVED!!!!
Because they knew the story.
They knew what the Lord was capable of.
They knew an encounter with Him could be life changing. Or death changing.
They heard a story from one man about what the Lord had done in his life. And they believed.
People ask me from time to time how to witness, how to share the gospel with someone.
My answer?
Tell them a story. Your story. How did the Lord rock your world?
Just tell them your story.
This one is a keeper, Sue. Tell a Story – a great reminder.
Hope you are doing well – Marisa
Thank you Marisa! Jesus, Moses, Miriam, Sennacherib, and Paul all told stories and they either changed lives or taught profound lessons by telling them. I am praying for you and your family! The Lord is with you for every step of your own story!