Jonah 3:10-4:1 (NIV): “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. But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.”
I’ve been following Jesus since I was a child. My journey with Jesus has been an adventure with many ups and many downs. I confess that I have at times been disobedient; I have hurt people; I have seen how my actions have not pleased Jesus at all. I have also had many victories, seeing how Jesus has used me to grow His kingdom.
Even though I have my struggles, I have remained confident in my love for Jesus and I know that He loves me. Jonah was a man who had struggles. He was probably the next prophet that we know about after Elisha. Like Elisha he prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel where godless kings ruled. He really did not like pagans, which certainly included the Ninevites. In fact, Jonah’s attitude was bad. Jonah wanted the Ninevites to be punished.
When God told Jonah to preach against the Ninevites he was at first disobedient, going in the opposite direction from Nineveh, because Jonah did not want His merciful God to be merciful. It is amazing that God used Jonah in spite of his bad attitude.
It is my hope that I can trust and obey God without having a bad attitude. Jonah certainly learned that he could not control God as He brings about His plans and purposes on earth by showing mercy even to evildoers. With recent events, and Supreme Court rulings, it would be easy to have a bad attitude. We have our part, but it is always important to remember that God is on His throne.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, in light of so many cultural issues that do not happen the way that I think they should, it would be easy for me to have a bad attitude like Jonah. May I instead see opportunities to fulfil the command that Jesus gave, to love others the way the Jesus has loved me. It is in His name that I pray. Amen.