by Linda Johnson
Ever been so mad that someone didn’t get their just desserts? That’s the way Jonah felt about Nineveh. Jonah went there and preached, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” The people of Nineveh believed God and repented. God’s mercy was shown to them and this really got to Jonah. (Jonah 3:4-4:2)
Jonah wanted to see Nineveh go up in smoke--perhaps a Sodom-Gomorrah event would be nice. He went up and sat on a hillside in anger. He had agreed to carry out God’s will only under duress. Of course, he was grateful for being spared when he was tossed overboard. But, he just couldn’t come to terms with being God’s instrument when an arch enemy of the Israelites was spared.
Is it possible that we can be like Jonah? Would we ever get upset at God? Do personal desires ever trump God’s plans for us? Nineveh was a wicked city. Isn’t the world full of wicked cities? Nineveh repented and God was glad. If God commissioned one of us to go to a wicked city and cry for it to repent, what would we do?
What if God called us to be missionaries to places where ISIS is, or Moscow, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, or to prisons? Would we go? Or, are we more like Jonah than we thought? Which comes first--our desires or God’s commission?
It’s a hard pill to swallow. But that is what our pastor was driving home to us this pastSunday. Once saved, we become a part of God’s plan and He has plans for all of us. The plans are to further His Kingdom. We will either be obedient or disobedient. Our pastor reminded us that we need to focus on what is waiting for us in eternal life. Look at what’s waiting for us--a mansion that has been prepared by God.
Ever been so mad that someone didn’t get their just desserts? That’s the way Jonah felt about Nineveh. Jonah went there and preached, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” The people of Nineveh believed God and repented. God’s mercy was shown to them and this really got to Jonah. (Jonah 3:4-4:2)
Jonah wanted to see Nineveh go up in smoke--perhaps a Sodom-Gomorrah event would be nice. He went up and sat on a hillside in anger. He had agreed to carry out God’s will only under duress. Of course, he was grateful for being spared when he was tossed overboard. But, he just couldn’t come to terms with being God’s instrument when an arch enemy of the Israelites was spared.
Is it possible that we can be like Jonah? Would we ever get upset at God? Do personal desires ever trump God’s plans for us? Nineveh was a wicked city. Isn’t the world full of wicked cities? Nineveh repented and God was glad. If God commissioned one of us to go to a wicked city and cry for it to repent, what would we do?
What if God called us to be missionaries to places where ISIS is, or Moscow, or Los Angeles, or Chicago, or to prisons? Would we go? Or, are we more like Jonah than we thought? Which comes first--our desires or God’s commission?
It’s a hard pill to swallow. But that is what our pastor was driving home to us this pastSunday. Once saved, we become a part of God’s plan and He has plans for all of us. The plans are to further His Kingdom. We will either be obedient or disobedient. Our pastor reminded us that we need to focus on what is waiting for us in eternal life. Look at what’s waiting for us--a mansion that has been prepared by God.
