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| PentecostalTheology.com
“Cry mightily unto God” Jonah 3:8
The reluctant prophet, Jonah walked into Nineveh with an eight-word, God-inspired sermon. The message of the mysterious man reached the ears of the king of Nineveh and in response he issued a four word command, “Cry mightily unto God!”
This short sentence includes a verb, an adverb, a preposition and a direct object. The verb is cry. In the home of the average family it is the baby, the most vulnerable and helpless member of the family who does most of the crying. He cries because he is hungry and cannot feed himself. He cries because his diaper is dirty and he cannot clean himself. He cries because he is frightened and cannot comfort himself. In short, he cries because he is helpless.
The warning came, “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” The king of Nineveh and all of his people knew that there was no help but from heaven. As David said, Whom have I heaven but thee? We live in a world that is on a collision course with judgment. What is there for us to do but cry?
The adverb in the sentence describes exactly how we are to cry. “Cry mightily!” This must not be some halfhearted, timid whisper in the wind. This must come from the very depth of our soul. David said. “This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.” Psalm 34:6. We must cry out individually as David did. We must also cry out corporately, “The righteous cry, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.” Psalm 34:17-19
There is also a preposition in the king’s command. Unto! We must not cry out to the wind. Would you mail a letter and not address it? Our cry is sent unto someone somewhere. Many whine, and cry, and moan, and groan, and complain to nobody specifically. There must be a definite direction to our heart’s cry otherwise it is wasted effort, wasted tears, wasted grief.
Now we come to the direct object of our cry. “Cry mightily unto God!” There is one who is listening to our faintest cry. “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:12 The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much. James 5:16
Do not despair. God is waiting for his people to cry mightily unto him and he is ready with mighty answers to the cry of our hearts. “Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.” Will you act on his invitation? Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
