Jonah Challenge day 4 of 4 4-4-14

This is the final day of the Jonah challenge, I admit it wasn't what I expected it to be but has enlightened me a little more into how God works.
Next week I'm thinking I'm going to start the lesson "making your faith public" it is another short daily devotional and is only 7 days long.. I think its something that we all as Christians should do but most of us are not doing it... so feel free to come back and follow along as we take that journey too ~B

Jonah as angry at the Lord's mercy but forgot that it was the same mercy that prevented the fish from having him for dinner!

Jonah was basically saying to God, "Look, I knew you were going to have mercy anyway, that’s why I didn’t want to go! You’re too compassionate." Jonah saw his mission as pointless & futile, but God didn’t!

I see and understand Jonah’s perspective, especially from the position of getting annoyed when people abuse the ‘grace’ of God. But it’s not for us to get annoyed. Moreover, our annoyance should not infringe on our obedience to God’s instruction.

Yes people abuse God’s grace…but I will still tell everyone about it! Because someone will be saved!

Jonah was so dramatic…was it really that deep? Verse 3-4 made me chuckle. How can Jonah request to die!!! I imagine God saying to Jonah in today’s slang ‘is it really that deep?’

God’s grace transcends our human understanding.

I love the way the message bible puts verse 4-11. God is saying to Jonah and to us; don’t get angry at what you didn’t work for! Jonah didn’t look at after plant, didn’t see it through its early days, and consequently allowed it to die. God used the plant to describe the city of Nineveh. He is saying that he wants to see that plant grow, live and not die.

This chapter is a real wake up call to ‘Christians’ who consider other people unworthy of God’s grace. Please look back and remember the ‘amazing grace’ that saved YOU. Rejoice when people turn to God, because it means you have gained another sibling in the Lord.

Be careful not to look down from a position of pride. Be careful not to be ‘selfish’ with your ‘saved’ status. WE desire for ALL to be saved!

God didn’t even have to explain himself to Jonah, but he did! He wants us all to understand his grace. God is sovereign in any decision He makes, He can ‘relent’ if it pleases Him to do.

Verses:

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  - Matthew 5:7 (NIV)

1 But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 3 Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”“It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 10 But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11 And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” - Jonah 4:1-11 (NIV)

Jonah Challenge day 3 of 4 4-3-14

"Actions speak louder…Faith without works is dead." (James 2:14). The people of Nineveh ‘believed’ God (verse 5), but that belief wasn’t enough. The KING of this great city fasted and used his authority to instruct everyone in the land to fast, call out to God, and put on sackcloths. They humbled themselves before God, physically showing their repentance.

God’s grace existed in the Old Testament. Contrary to popular belief and lack of studying the Bible, we can see that God’s grace & mercy existed in the Old Testament! Grace is unmerited favour. Favour is receiving something you did not work for. Mercy is the withholding of what you do deserve! God’s mercy is evident in this chapter.

Your obedience can save a nation. Repentance can save a nation.

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? (Romans 10:13-14 NKJV)

And how shall they hear without a preacher? How will people hear about God if you do not tell them? How will people hear about God if we don’t support our missionaries & evangelists? How will people hear about God and be saved if you don’t grow in the faith, obey God and speak up?

See how a city was saved because Jonah finally heeded to God’s instruction. If he really resisted…the blood of the city would be on his hands, he would be held accountable. The people of Ninevah would have perished for lack of knowledge! But thank God that wasn’t the case.

Understand that the things God tells us to do, the thing He considers to be our purpose has a greater impact. Purpose isn’t just for you! It’s for others to benefit from. You accomplishing your purpose is you being a point of provision for someone in ‘need’! You accomplishing your purpose and divine assignment is allowing someone to hear God’s word and get a chance to be saved! This was the case with Jonah, and it is the same for us. Our obedience to God is so key. If you don’t want to obey God for yourself, please at least obey Him for the people that will benefit from your obedience.

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  - James 2:14 (NIV)

10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? - Romans 10:10-14 (NIV)

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh:“By the decree of the king and his nobles:Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. - Jonah 3:1-10 (NIV)