Today’s Devotion
Topic: For You, But Why Not Nineveh Too?
Text: Jonah 4: 4
4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Amen
We are quite familiar with the story of Jonah, the prophet of God. How he attempted to run from God before he was made to go to the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it.
As is recorded in the bible, the ship with which he had hoped to escape met a fierce storm that threatened their lives. Jonah after some hesitation eventually owns up and accepts responsibility for the storm; as he was aware that there can be no hiding when it comes to God.
He asked to be thrown into the sea as a remedy to the surging waters. He was a spiritual man, he knew that would calm the waters. They reluctantly obliged and he was swallowed by a big fish for three days. This time he repented and pleaded for a second chance until the Lord commanded the fish to vomit him on dry land (Jonah 2: 10).
Well eventually his repentance led him to Nineveh where before he could even preach “harder”, the whole city repented and cried to the Lord for mercy. “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” (Jonah 3: 10).
“But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4: 1-4).
Beloved, analyse Jonah’s complain critically. Why is it that most of us plead to God for pardon, mercy and second chances when we disobey His command but find it difficult to understand why others should be forgiven too? We would rather the Lord punish them so hard so they would learn a lesson but cry for mercy day and night when we falter. Jonah went as far as wishing himself death than to face a forgiven Nineveh.
Yet if the Lord was to keep record of our sins, who can stand? (Ps 130: 3). On what grounds should the grace of God pardon some and leave others to their destruction? Should not the prophet of God be more excited that our God is ‘a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity’? What other kind of God would Jonah rather God be?
Think about this carefully because you are the one who struggles to understand that, the ways of God are not the ways of man. You also struggle to understand the fact that those who hurt you so badly in life could receive pardon, instead of punishment when they called on the Lord in absolute repentance.
You again struggle with the idea that new converts in the church have something special to offer the Lord. This is because you still tag them with their old lifestyle even when the Lord has totally forgiven them.
Begin to pray right now. Seek forgiveness for being too judgemental where even God has given a second chance. Do not be like Jonah who wishes to see calamity on sinners. Understand that it is not the wish of our Lord that anyone should perish (2 Peter 3: 9).
Even the Angel of God told Abraham that if he met a number as low as 10 righteous men in Sodom, he wouldn’t destroy it (Gen 18: 32). Remember how God sent His son to die while we were yet sinners? (Rom 5: 8). Do not be so selfish till the Lord asks you, “Is it right for you to be angry with Me”? Literally that translates into something like ” be realistic and not selfish, I did the same for you”.
Now you tell us, how inconsiderate would a person be to attract such an unanswerable question from our Lord?
NB: 38 DAYS MORE TO 4JBAND CONCERT DUBBED “ADONAI” ON 27TH DECEMBER @ ICGC ADONAI TEMPLE- HAATSO ACCRA. 3PM SHARP. BE THERE!
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