December 24, 2013
It's a terrible thing to admit, but truth compels me to do so: I'm easily indifferent toward the wicked who are on the road to hell. A smug self-righteousness easily reasons that they've made their choice, and they alone are responsible for the consequences. That, however is not how our Creator views His creation.
The reluctant prophet Jonah, having repented of his disobedience while contemplating it in the belly of a great fish, hit the ground preaching a message of impending doom to a wicked city. Much to his dismay, this large city en masse repented - king and servant alike. Repentance that averted judgement - the outcome that Jonah least desired - provoked his ire:
"it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, 'Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.' " (Jonah 4:1-2)
Retreating a safe distance in hope of God's wrath - "until he could see what would happen in the city." (Jonah 4:5) - God sought to reason with Jonah concerning His mercy and grace:
"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" (Jonah 4:11)
Our Father has a heart of compassion toward all that He has created, and desires the same from His people. The sense of His question to Jonah is, "how could I feel and do otherwise?" Indeed; He calls us to the same.
According to God's searching question to Jonah, those without biblical moral bearings don't know "the difference between their right and left hand". Often, those outside of Christ are blind rather than willfully disobedient. Those, then, who are blind desperately need the light of the gospel that has so illuminated our lives.
Like His Father, Jesus would have us develop a "harvest mentality: "lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." (John 4.35) Granted - as the apostle Paul said - "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse" (2 Timothy 3.13), but those who are "innocently unsaved" have responsive hearts and minds that can be reached by compassionate believers. These are the harvest, and these are those who should seek an increasing burden for.
Jonah's "anti-example" compels us to align ourselves with our compassionate Father, and His great desire to reach the lost. May our prayer and desire today be that the God of compassion direct us to those who will genuinely repent through knowledge of the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book - https://www.createspace.com/4500045
The reluctant prophet Jonah, having repented of his disobedience while contemplating it in the belly of a great fish, hit the ground preaching a message of impending doom to a wicked city. Much to his dismay, this large city en masse repented - king and servant alike. Repentance that averted judgement - the outcome that Jonah least desired - provoked his ire:
"it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, 'Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity.' " (Jonah 4:1-2)
Retreating a safe distance in hope of God's wrath - "until he could see what would happen in the city." (Jonah 4:5) - God sought to reason with Jonah concerning His mercy and grace:
"Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" (Jonah 4:11)
Our Father has a heart of compassion toward all that He has created, and desires the same from His people. The sense of His question to Jonah is, "how could I feel and do otherwise?" Indeed; He calls us to the same.
According to God's searching question to Jonah, those without biblical moral bearings don't know "the difference between their right and left hand". Often, those outside of Christ are blind rather than willfully disobedient. Those, then, who are blind desperately need the light of the gospel that has so illuminated our lives.
Like His Father, Jesus would have us develop a "harvest mentality: "lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest." (John 4.35) Granted - as the apostle Paul said - "evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse" (2 Timothy 3.13), but those who are "innocently unsaved" have responsive hearts and minds that can be reached by compassionate believers. These are the harvest, and these are those who should seek an increasing burden for.
Jonah's "anti-example" compels us to align ourselves with our compassionate Father, and His great desire to reach the lost. May our prayer and desire today be that the God of compassion direct us to those who will genuinely repent through knowledge of the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
Amazon ebook devotional - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FQ1Q9GW
paperback print copy of book - https://www.createspace.com/4500045
posted by steve @ 8:36 AM
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