A Way In The WildernessSample

A Lesson In Grace

God was insistent, but Jonah was reluctant, so much so that Jonah went the total opposite direction of where the LORD wanted him to go. He sailed 2500 miles west to Tarshish when God told him to go to Nineveh, which was five hundred miles east of where he was at Joppa. Jonah’s disobedience almost cost the lives of the crew he travelled with until he told them to throw him overboard into the sea.

There the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow him for three days and three nights. It was in the belly of the fish, that “wilderness”, where Jonah prayed to God. Jonah repented and was thrown back onto dry land and went on to finish his task of proclaiming the judgment of the LORD to the people of Nineveh. 

Now, Nineveh was a large city and it took three days just to go through it. The Ninevites eventually repented and believed in the LORD so He did not bring destruction upon them.

But to Jonah, this seemed wrong and he became angry. He was upset because he knew God was gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He was so angry at God’s compassion and grace upon the Ninevites that he would rather die. 

Sometimes we find ourselves in the wilderness because of a misplaced sense of righteousness. But as servants of God, we are to obey so that ultimately His grace, and not our personal sentiment, is made evident to those we serve. 

• Have you felt a sense of injustice because of the grace and kindness of God? 
• What measures can you take to avoid falling into the trap of being overly self-righteous?