A Troubling Attitude

Scripture – Jonah 4:1-4: ¹But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. ²He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee 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. ³Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) What did Jonah have against the people of Nineveh? Obviously, there’s no answer to that here. What is clear is that Jonah did not want them to experience God’s grace and forgiveness. There are a lot of “safe” ways I could go from here. However, the question confronts me: Who are the Ninevites in my life?

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) Even as I raise that question, I try to block it out. Are there people I think don’t deserve God’s mercy? That’s a troubling question. I certainly can think of people I think need to pay for their choices in life – people against whom I carry a grudge. I’ll be aware of them today. I’ll lift them up to Christ in prayer today.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, in my heart I know there’s no one you don’t love. And while no one “deserves” your mercy (especially me), you want to extend it to all. Please bring your light into these dark areas of my life. Set me free from such judgmental attitudes. Teach me to be a bearer of your grace and compassion to all people.