Bitterness hurts

So Jonah finally listens to God and goes to Ninevah! God did twist Jonah’s arm a little bit and he did what God called him to do.

Courage and all Jonah stood there and told all of the Ninevaites that they would soon die due to God’s wrath. The people repent and they are saved. It is an awesome experience. People suck up their pride and turn from their evil ways.

One would think this would be a happy ending. All the people were saved and God spared them all. but Jonah is mad. He is sulking around and waiting for the fireworks to go off at the big city.

Jonah waits for God to rightly punish his people and it never comes. God gives them grace of all things.

Here is a guy Jonah who has been serving God all of his life and the one time he doesn’t want to serve God a fish eats him. He suffered and he only disobeyed God once. How is that just.

These people have murdered and committed all of these sins and God somehow has compassion on them? He chooses to spare them but not with Jonah so much.

Jonah is angry he wonders how is this fair. These people are shallow jerks who just don’t want to die so that is why they are repenting.

Then the thought provoking question that hits me in the gut….

Have you any right to be angry?

Yes God of course I do! I am the one who has strictly followed you until the end unlike these heathens. Why didn’t you give me grace.

Gods response: Well first off I am the one who has saved you and can save anyone I want to. you have no right to tell me who to give grace to. I gave grace to you! and you needed a good kick in the pants….

Enough said.

Do you find yourself in Jonah’s shoes?