THURSDAY - 6TH JUNE, 2024
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola ADEJUMO
THE ROLE OF A SOCIAL REFORMER: CRY AND SPARE NOT
Jonah 1:1, KJV
"1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me."
When God raised Jonah to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria and cry against her wickedness, God didn't ask that they should be pampered. Rather, the word to Jonah to them is the word of judgement. The idea of "crying against" suggests that. When you cry against something, you decry or protest against it. That won't be cosmetic toleration of evils but intentional rejection and abhorrence of it.
Indeed, when Jonah got there, what was his cry? "Yet in forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). Are there still God's oracles in the land? Are there still voices of correction and rebuke in the land? If there be, God is saying Jonah's declaration should be your declaration when wickedness has overtaken righteousness in the society. At such time, the declaration should be, "woe to all workers of iniquity." That is not time to feast at any king's table. Boycott them and let them sense that God is angry at them. It ain't time for blessing because none has done anything worthy of blessing. Blessings just don't fall on people. It is usually caused. Speaking of Job, the blessings of he that was perishing that he saved came upon his head. So, he got a return for his good works.
Job 29:13, KJV
"The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me..."
But that was consequent upon his works of a human right activist and humanitarian which he discharged to the uttermost to the poor, widows, fatherless and the perishing.
The same applies to curses. It is as well caused.
The Bible says, "a curse causeless shall not come" (Prov. 26:2). You have to attract it or must have done something worthy of a curse landing or sticking to you.
The message of Jonah like that of John the Baptist in Luke 3 is also that of a social reformer. His message changed Nineveh through their repentance in dust and ashes. Seeing this, God repented of the evil He has planned against them.
There's an impending damnation over the wicked which if he doesn't turn from would fall on him. Irrespective of where you are placed or what you do, seek to have a clear conscience in the discharge of your work. Let your activities and daily living be swallowed up in righteousness. Uphold the moral standards at the gates and your lot shall not be the wicked's when the judgement shall come.
To change any society isn't far fetched. A good righteous living will establish the order. This is what we are all called to preach. We must renounce and denounce evil personally and first of all. Then, we must wage war at social, gender, economic, political injustices and any evil parading itself in our community in boldness. When we challenge it and spare not, it'll shrink and disappear. We must call workers of iniquity by their names and shout out woe to them while reminding them of God's impending judgement.
PRAYER: God, strengthen us to do the community work of crying, rejecting and abhorring the evils in our society.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: 2 Samuel 15:23-16:23, John 18:25-19:22, Psalm 119:113-128, Proverbs 16:10-11
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