God placed eternity in each of our hearts. We all have an innate sense of eternity. If someone says to me they have never heard about Jesus and eternity I will say, “Well I am that witness to you right now.” In Romans it says we are without excuse.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

“I will put My law within them and in their heart I will write it; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, “Know the Lord”, for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:33-34

I believe the story of Jonah illustrates these two scriptures. Jonah knew all about the Lord and eternity but even though that was in his heart he was choosing to run from the instructions God had given him. He boarded a ship to go in the direct opposite way the Lord had sent him.

The pagan captain and sailors of the ship did not serve Jonah’s God but many other gods. But the eternity written in their hearts was about to come alive. They had what we call today, a golden moment. They could see that there was a divine God that was causing the great storm they were in. When they questioned Jonah he admitted to running from God and that he was the cause of the storm. From his response their sense of eternity was awakened. 

They could see and they knew there was one true God. They had not read the Bible. They were not taught about Him. How else could they know other than the eternity in their hearts. Once that revelation came they cried out to Him. They didn’t want to come against Him and they asked Him to forgive them for what they were about to do next. You know what happened next, they threw Jonah overboard. They then witnessed the miracle. The storm instantly ceased. They knew there was a greater God than the ones they had been serving. In that moment they surrendered their lives to Him.

Let us be ready to be that witness to those around us who have not come to surrender their lives to the Lord as of yet. Be the one to awaken the eternity that was placed in their heart.