Love God Greatly - JonahSample

God is more concerned about mercy than wrath

We reach the end of Jonah´s story with today´s verses. In chapter 1, the prophet learned that you can’t run away from God. In chapter 2, he learned that God forgives those who call upon Him. In chapter 3, he saw a whole city humble itself before the Lord, repent and receive mercy. Now he learns that God has compassion for lost sinners like the Ninevites, and like himself.

Jonah had pity on the plant God had provided when it perished, but he didn´t have compassion for the people who would perish and live eternally apart from God. The book of Jonah reminds us that God is the God of all humanity, that Jesus died for every people in every nation. 

I wish we had some more verses in the book of Jonah to see how the prophet responded to this final lesson. Did he repent? Did he understand that God loves and extends grace and mercy to everybody? Spurgeon said, “Let us hope that, during the rest of his life, he so lived as to rejoice in the sparing mercy of God.”

That´s my prayer for you too, that you can live as to rejoice in the sparing mercy of God as long as you live. That you can live according to God´s compassion, showing mercy and loving well - even the people who have hurt you or mistreated you. What has the book of Jonah taught you? What valuable lessons have you learned in these weeks?  

Dear God, thank You for loving me while I was still weak. Thank You for showing Your love for me while I was still a sinner. It´s only because of Your love that I am free from condemnation. It´s only because of Your mercy that I have eternal life. I thank You from the bottom of my heart. Amen.