THURSDAY 2ND MARCH 2017 MORNING
Jonah 3 New International Version (NIV)
Jonah Goes to Nineveh
1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”
3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:
“By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.
When the King of Nineveh heard the preaching of Jonah he was convicted of his sins. He humbled himself and repented and called the people to fast and pray to God for mercy and forgiveness and God answered their prayers.
Do you need to humble yourself before God and repent of your sins? During this time of Lent draw close to God in prayer.
ALHAMISI TAREHE 2 MACHI 2017 ASUBUHI
YONA 3:1-10
1 Neno la Bwana likamjia Yona mara ya pili, kusema,
2 Ondoka, uende Ninawi, mji ule mkubwa; ukaihubiri habari nitakayokuamuru.
3 Basi Yona akaondoka, akaenda Ninawi, kama Bwana alivyonena. Basi Ninawi ulikuwa mji mkubwa mno, ukubwa wake mwendo wa siku tatu.
4 Yona akaanza kuuingia mji mwendo wa siku moja, akapaza sauti yake, akasema, Baada ya siku arobaini Ninawi utaangamizwa.
5 Basi watu wa Ninawi wakamsadiki Mungu; wakatangaza kufunga, wakajivika nguo za magunia, tangu yeye aliye mkubwa hata aliye mdogo.
6 Habari ikamfikia mfalme wa Ninawi, naye akaondoka katika kiti chake cha enzi, akavua vazi lake, akajivika nguo za magunia, na kuketi katika majivu.
7 Naye akapiga mbiu, akatangaza habari katika mji wa Ninawi, kwa amri ya mfalme na wakuu wake; kusema, Mwanadamu asionje kitu, wala mnyama wala makundi ya ng'ombe, wala makundi ya kondoo; wasile, wala wasinywe maji;
8 bali na wafunikwe nguo za magunia, mwanadamu na mnyama pia, nao wakamlilie Mungu kwa nguvu, naam, na wageuke, kila mtu akaache njia yake mbaya, na udhalimu ulio mikononi mwake.
9 Ni nani ajuaye kwamba Mungu hatageuka na kughairi, na kuiacha hasira yake kali, ili msiangamizwe?
10 Mungu akaona matendo yao, ya kuwa wameiacha njia yao mbaya. Basi Mungu akalighairi neno lile baya, ambalo alisema atawatenda; asilitende.
Mfalme wa Ninawi alisikia mahubiri ya Yona. Mfalme aliguswa alijishusha na kuvaa magunia. Alitubu dhambi zake na aliwambia watu wote watubu na kufunga kumwomba Mungu awarehemu. Mungu alisikia maombi yao na aliwahurumia.
Je! Unahitaji kuja mbele ya Mungu kwa toba? Msimu hii wa Kwaresma ni nafasi maalumu ya kujinyenyekeza mbele ya Mungu kwa toba na kufunga. Umwombe Mungu akusamehe na kukuhurumia.
