The LORD extends His extreme grace to all people everywhere over and over and over, day after day after day, but not forever. We all have an obligation to the LORD to respond to Him before He closes the door to us forever—with no chance for Him to reopen it.
“Thrown upon the LORD’s mercy” is a very powerful position, and it is the only position from which a person can surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior from sin.
“He catches up to you” is an immutable spiritual truth, not only during physical life on earth but for eternity! One commercial says, “Don’t leave home without it.” The LORD’s saints must tell people, “Don’t leave this life without the Lord Jesus Christ!”
The LORD communicated “Loud and Clear!” to Jonah, and vice-versa. This has been the mismatch since Adam’s sin. Man claims to want to know “God’s will”—as long as it aligns with what I already am doing.
Jonah was a prophet of Israel who lived about the time of Jeroboam II (2Kgs. 14:25). His name means dove, and he occupies a unique place as the first foreign missionary. The historical character of Jonah’s preservation in the great fish and his preaching to the inhabitants of Nineveh is attested by Christ, who likens the prophet’s experience to His own burial and resurrection (Mat. 12:38–42).
Therefore, when we consider our need for a Kinsman-Redeemer regarding our sin, apart from Jesus Christ, all others—including ourselves—are disqualified.
Not one of us can predict the specific ways that the LORD plans for us to serve Him or the sphere of influence He will give to us as His servants. Each one of us must take the very next step by faith, and then the next step after that by faith, and so forth.
Many are eager to redeem when they see opportunity to gain for themselves. True grace and great mercy take on cost in order to redeem.
Anytime “It’s out of my hands,” someone else must handle the work and the responsibility. If I interject myself into that situation, I mess it up—the failure belongs to me alone! What part of “It’s out of my hands!” do we not understand?