But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry…And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”
Jonah 4
God showed compassion on a people who repented in sackcloth and ashes. Jonah was blinded by his hatred toward the Ninevites and he became angry at God because He had NOT carried out His threat to destroy the city of Nineveh. Jonah stated all the good characteristics of God but, Jonah expected those characteristics to be for the Israelites only! Jonah’s anger caused him to rail against God and Jonah told God to just take his life now! God asked Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry?” Jonah went out of Nineveh to a point where he could see God destroy the city. There, Jonah built a shelter from the sun and sat in expectation of God’s destruction. But, God acted compassionately to Jonah by “appointing” a plant to grow, sprouting big leaves to provide shade for Jonah from the heat of the day. Jonah was glad but did not thank God for the plant. The next morning, God “appointed” a worm to eat the plant, killing it and the shade Jonah had enjoyed. Jonah began to faint under the heat of the hot wind and sun God had caused to come after Jonah. Jonah, when asked about his condition, said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Again, God said, “Do you do well to be angry?” When Jonah answered he did, God then pointed out to Jonah, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” Dear Christians, sometimes we are like Jonah, sulking at Almighty God because He has not acted as we expect Him to act. God is not some “butler in the sky who is there to care for our every whim.” No, God is Sovereign over His creation, acting in His Power for His Glory! As creatures of His creation, we are here to glorify God in all that we think, say and, do. As we love Him, we find Him to be full of Grace, Mercy and Love and we can enjoy His presence eternally in so doing. God is far greater than any creature of His creation and He acts according to His purposes, not ours. We sin against Holy God when we take His greatness for granted and do not appreciate all that God does for us. For without God’s active involvement in His creation, no flesh could exist! Give God His due this day by glorifying Him in all your labors!
Source: S C Ball September 21, 2023
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