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Daily Devotion: Jonah 4:1-4

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Jonah 4:1-4     "But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.  (2)  And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.  (3)  Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.  (4)  Then said the LORD, Doest thou well to be angry?"

Think about what Jonah had been through - all because of his own stubbornness.  He had been placed in the hull of the ship as common cargo. He had been in the heart of a terrible storm at sea. He had been thrown overboard and swallowed by a great fish. He had been taken to the depth of the sea where he came to his senses and cried out unto the Lord.  Covered with gastric juices, he ran to Nineveh and cried out to them. He had observed a marvelous revival take place in this wicked city. You would think because God spared him that he would be rejoicing. But no! ... "It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry."  He was angry that God had shown His great power and had spared such a city. It must have been an amazing sight to see people being transformed right in front of his own eyes, but "it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry."

You can read between the lines and hear Jonah saying to God, "This is why I didn't want to come in the first place. I knew you are merciful and that you were going to spare this city. (In between those lines, you hear Jonah saying.. and I can't stand them!)  Just take my life. I told them you were going to overthrow the city, but instead, you spared them. It's better for me to die than to sit here and watch them in such a state of joy." To this the Lord replied, "Doest thou well to be angry?"  I can almost hear God saying, "Look at these people and see the righteousness that is being produced in that place. And you Jonah... Just how righteous do you feel right now in your anger?"  We will finish the book of Jonah tomorrow and will see that it really ends in a mysterious manner. But this morning I ask, Is there anyone.. or someone that you feel is not worthy of being spared by God? Is there anyone that you would think, "This world would be a better place without them"?  Do you think the grace of God is sufficient to convert even the most wicked? I'm sure there were people who did not think Saul was worthy of grace. To that, he would say, "You're right. I'm not worthy, but by the grace of God I am what I am."  I say that about myself also and no offense, but I say that about you also. None of us are worthy, but I'm so thankful that "thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Aren't you thankful?

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