The End of Jonah's Story

Read Jonah 4

When Jonah finally decided to obey God and go to Nineveh, a miracle occurred. These hard-hearted, cruel Assyrians believed. They put on sack cloths, fasted, and repented from their wicked ways. But Jonah still wasn't happy. He still didn't believe God should have cared about the Ninevites. 

How many Christians today have gotten into the same boat as Jonah? They know Christ calls them to tell others His good news, but they've neglected that command. They want to serve God on their terms, not His. It's easy for us to judge Jonah, but there's too much of Jonah in us all. How compassionate, caring, and understanding are we for others, especially our enemies?

Jonah actually became angry that God allowed the Ninevites to repent instead of destroying them. In fact, he's so upset he tells God just to kill him. He goes off into the distance and pouts. God sends a plant to shade him, but then He sends a worm that eats into it and the plant withers and dies. Jonah mourns the plant, and God chides him for caring about a plant but not the Ninevites. The story ends with Jonah still unhappy. We don't know if he ever softened his heart with understanding, but we can choose the ending to our own stories. We can choose to obey God, to love everyone as He asks, and to carry His messages wherever He calls us. In the end, the story of Jonah is really God's story. It tells of His infinite love, patience, and understanding for His wayward children--for us.

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