We need to thank God

Jonah was a prophet who understood perfectly the goodness of the Lord. But he was also a man who could not enjoy it or appropriate it. Instead, Jonah changed the goodness of God into a burden for himself.

Indeed, God ordered Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and prophesy of his rapid destruction. The Ninevites, you see, were enemies of Israel. So when he heard God's instructions, Jonah fled in haste. What motivated this extreme reaction ? He knew the goodness of God. Jonah explained to the Lord : "For I knew that you are a compassionate and merciful God, slow to anger and rich in kindness, and repent of evil" (Jonah 4: 2).

In other words : "Lord, you ordered me to tell Nineveh that he had forty days left before the destruction. But I can not do it because I know you. You let yourself easily touch. Tears of repentance soften your heart and I know what will happen. When you see the Ninewites crying, you will change your mind. Instead of sending the judgment, You will draw their hearts to you - and I will pass for an idiot !"

Finally, Jonah went to Nineveh, but through the belly of a large fish that spit it out on the shore. Jonah proclaimed God's judgment on Nineveh, and the people repented. The hard-core Ninewites cried, fasted, took the sackcloth and ashes, even clothing their animals with mourning clothes. One of the greatest revivals reported in the Bible occurred.

But seeing all this, Jonah got angry. He even shunned because God spared Nineveh, rather than rejoicing that they were righteous. To summarize: Jonah did not rejoice in the goodness of God.

Beloved, as a people of God, do not make the same mistake. We need to thank God for His merciful kindness to us, His church and our nation.

David Wilkerson