By Greg Laurie
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple.” Jonah 2:7
God told Jonah to go and preach to the people of Nineveh, but Jonah boarded a boat and went in the opposite direction. When a violent storm hit, the sailors began to cry out to their gods. But Jonah told them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me” (Jonah 1:12 NKJV).
You know the rest of the story. They followed Jonah’s advice, and the Lord brought a “great fish” to swallow Jonah. I have to say that Jonah was stubborn. He spent three days and three nights inside that fish’s stomach . . . wrapped in seaweed . . . fish smacking him in the face . . . humidity like you wouldn’t believe. Yet he refused to budge.
Eventually, Jonah came to his senses. He prayed. There in the belly of that fish, he had a personal revival. Jonah was ready to do what God had called him to do. He was revived and recommissioned by God.
First God sent revival to Jonah, then Jonah brought revival to Nineveh. That is because nothing can happen through us until it first happens to us. It has to start with us.
If you want to raise your children in the way of the Lord, then make sure you are walking in the way of the Lord. They will listen to your bedtime stories and mini-sermons, but they will be watching your life to see if you live that out. Some things are caught, and other things are taught.
If you want to tell people you work with about Jesus Christ, then make sure you are a model of what it is to follow Christ.
Revival starts with you and me.
Greg Laurie is senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California. This editorial was taken from his daily devotional, which can be accessed by signing up here.
